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̽»¨Ö±²¥conference, entitled ‘Pattern recognition receptors in human disease', will explore recent findings in this emerging field. ̽»¨Ö±²¥area is of broad interest because understanding how pattern recognition receptors work at the molecular level offers the prospect of new therapies for common human diseases such as diabetes, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

Humans have evolved a complex and effective immune system to fight infections caused by microbes such as bacteria and viruses. Pattern recognition receptors are a group of proteins found in immune system cells that are able to sense the presence of microbes and cause the familiar symptoms of an infection such as fever, tiredness and loss of appetite – the innate immune response.

Signals generated by these receptors are also needed to start production of specific antibodies that fight the invading microbes. Sometimes the innate immune system goes wrong and this contributes to the development of a number of serious diseases. These include rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis and endotoxic shock.

Endotoxic shock, for example, is a highly dangerous condition that causes multi-organ failure and death. It is responsible for about 135,000 deaths every year in Europe alone. Research in the field of pattern recognition receptors and innate immunity has grown exponentially in the last ten years and offers the prospect of new medicines to treat a wide range of common diseases.

Interest in this field of research by the pharmaceutical industry is reflected by generous sponsorship for the conference from GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and UCB-Celltech among others. ̽»¨Ö±²¥conference has been organized under the auspices of the Biochemical Society by Dr Nick Gay and Dr Clare Bryant, at the Departments of Biochemistry and Veterinary Medicine, ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge, together with Dr Peter Morley from GlaxoSmithKline, Prof Luke O'Neill of Trinity College, Dublin, and Dr Kate Fitzgerald ( ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Massachusetts Medical School, USA).