Free ANZAAS talk, Melbourne Wed 18th August 6:30pm
All welcome, no booking needed At: Gene Technology Access Centre, 1H Royal Parade, Parkville Free drinks and pizza after the talk Professor Bryan Williams
Director, Monash Institute for Medical Research, and Director, Centre for Cancer Research
“Interferons and cytokines, a toll tale”
Interferons were discovered over fifty years ago and are now recognised as key components in the body’s natural defence against viruses, bacteria and parasites. Interferons have long been used as anti-cancer agents in the clinic and have earned pharmaceutical companies billions of dollars in revenue for a modest investment in research. Despite modest clinical activity interferons are approved for use in chronic myeloid leukaemia, melanoma and other malignancies. Until recently the mechanisms of action of inteferons in these diseases have remained obscure. This is despite an enormous body of work on their basic biochemical mechanisms which has laid the groundwork for much of our knowledge of how cytokines including interferons signal cells to grow, differentiate or die. Over the past fifteen years it has become apparent that our cells have the capability of recognizing specific pathogen associated molecular patterns by virtue of toll-like receptors and responding to these by producing interferons activating our innate mechanisms of defence and setting in train the acquisition of specific immunity to future exposures. This lecture will discuss how these complex pathways interact as part of an auto amplification loop that is key to survival from infectious disease and protection from malignancy.
*** This talk will be preceded by a short presentation from Dimitra Zotos,
a PhD student from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute ***
Enter off Story Steet, GTAC is at the western end of University High School’s oval
ANZAAS Vic is pleased to acknowledge the support by GTAC, CSL and La Trobe University for the ANZAAS Melbourne science talks series
Further Info: Peter Kemeny 0409 028 165 peter.kemeny@gmail.com
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