Message from Peter C. Doherty, President 2007 - 2010 of IUIS
Immunology and the IUIS
The word immunology comes from the latin “immunis”, which means without tax. Our immune systems evolved over millions of years to deal with the tax of parasitism by simpler life forms. Immunization protects us against infectious diseases like poliomyelitis, yellow fever, measles, diphtheria and whooping cough, but we still have no good vaccines to stop malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and a range of other terrible pathogens. Such research is a primary focus of immunology, with some of the strategies also extending into the treatment and prevention of various forms of cancer. Then there’s the other face of immunity, when it all goes wrong. Immune mechanisms that evolved to defeat worm infections may be inappropriately induced by, for example, pollens or dust mites to cause terrible allergies. Autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, develop when the immune system is fooled into reacting against our own tissues and organs. Many researchers believe that we may ultimately be able to alleviate such conditions by changing immune regulatory networks.
The community of applied and basic scientists, medical doctors, veterinarians and so forth who spend part, or all of their time, seeking immunological solutions to disease problems is thus very substantial. Immunology is a very complex subject with many sub-specialties, so communication is enormously important. As a consequence, immunologists group together into National Societies and/or Regional Federations that have annual meetings. Among the primary roles of the IUIS are to bring these organizations together in a global context and to adjudicate where the triennial International Congresses, which commonly attract in excess of 5,000 participants, are to be held. In August 2007 congress participants met for the first time in South America, in Rio de Janeiro, the hosts being the Brazilian Society of Immunology and the Latin American Society of Immunology (ALAI). The next International Congress will be in Kobe, Japan, in 2010, then in Rome in 2013.
The IUIS office is sited in the Vienna Medical Academy, and the current officers are located in Europe, Australia and Canada. The Council and Executive convenes annually, next in Taiwan immediately prior to the October 2008 meeting of the Federation of Immunology Societies of Asia-Oceania (FIMSA). An important function is to receive and discuss the reports of standing committees that deal with key areas like education, nomenclature, standards and so forth. These activities require a great deal of effort on the part of dedicated volunteers, with limited financial support coming from the IUIS.
While the national societies of immunology in the first world are generally strong, particularly if they derive income from the sale of a major research journal, the much smaller immunology communities in the less well resourced areas of globe need more help. The IUIS does what it can to assist by providing input into the development of teaching courses and the preparation of submissions for funding by philanthropies like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. However, the effectiveness of the IUIS is constrained by the fact that it has very limited financial reserves sourced largely from the triennial Congresses. So far, efforts at expanding this income base have met with little success. Any advice or help would be appreciated.
One area where we believe the IUIS could provide better service to both the broader community and to the international family of immunologists is by greatly expanding the scope of this website. Apart from providing links to the activities of the various Federations, National Societies and IUIS Committees, the aim is for the website to function as a portal for accessing videos and animations that explain aspects of immunology to the general public. A further idea is to start World Immunology, a new e-journal that provides a discussion format, gives news of major initiatives and achievements in immunology and publishes short (2 page) invited reviews highlighting the work of individual investigators, their research teams and the institutions where they work. The driving force might be up to 100, predominantly younger Associate Editors who represent various aspects of immunology and the different Federations. What do you think? We invite you to become involved. Comments should be sent to our new web co-ordinator Dr Margarida Carneiro (carneirom @igc.gulbenkian.pt) of Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Institute. In conclusion, we wish immunologists everywhere a very successful 2008, and hope that you have already added Kobe 2010 to your agenda.
Peter C. Doherty
University of Melbourne and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
20 December, 2007