The target audience for this meeting includes: 1) Basic researchers who study mechanisms of autoimmune diseases; 2) Clinical researchers who explore new treatments in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including biologics, drugs and gene therapy; 3) Physicians who take care of patients with autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune endocrine diseases; 4) Young physicians and researchers in training.
Meeting objective:
At the completion of the meeting the participants should: 1) be able to discuss mechanisms that regulate tolerance and autoimmunity; 2) understand how organ specific and systemic autoimmune diseases arise; 3) understand the rational for the use of biologics (for example anti-TNF, IL-1 inhibitors), drugs (for example cyclosporin, FK506) and gene therapy in the treatment of autoimmune diseases; 4) plan research that will improve the welfare of patients with autoimmune diseases; 5) deliver better care to patients with organ specific and systemic autoimmune diseases.