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| Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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2:00 PM - 3:20 PM
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PI 3-Kinase Signaling: Transcriptional Regulation and Cell Survival
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| Description: |
Geoffrey Cooper, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of the Faculty, Natural Sciences, Boston University.
Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, L-112, Boston, MA.
Part of the Current Topics in Pharmacological Sciences Seminar Series sponsored by the Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics.
Free and open to the public. Refreshments served at 1:45 pm, R-Building 6th Floor.
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Kristina Bigdeli
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6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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2011 WEST Leadership Awards Event
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| Description: |
2011 WEST LEADERSHIP AWARDS EVENT
Microsoft New England Research and Development (NERD) Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02142
Twitter: #WESTawards
Description:
It is our pleasure to invite you to WEST's fourth-annual Leadership Awards Event, our most exciting and engaging event of the year. This is our opportunity to acknowledge women who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in science and technology. Join us in honoring these talented women, who have achieved success either within larger organizations, or in starting their own companies.
Be moved and inspired by the stories these exceptional women share, network with the movers and shakers in the Science and Technology community.
You will not want to miss this remarkable event.
Food will be provided - All are welcome to join us.
2010 WEST Leadership Awardees:
•Jennifer Tour Chayes - Distinguished Scientist and Managing Director of the Microsoft New England Research and Development (NERD) Center
•Laura Fitton - CEO/Founder of www.oneforty.com
•Joanna Horobin - CEO Syndax
•Lydia Villa-Komaroff - Chief Science Officer Cytonome
Registration Information:
Preregistration: (by 9pm Monday June 6)
$75 for Members, $100 for non-members; Registration at the door: $100 members, $125 non-members
For more information visit http://www.westorg.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=19:default&id=162:event-2011-06-08-leadership-awards
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Donna Falcetti
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| Thursday, June 9, 2011
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Noon - 1:00 PM
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Bioinformatics-based predictions of peptide binding to disease-associated HLA
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| Description: |
Speaker: Masha Fridkis-Hareli, Taligen Therapeutics (Alexion)
Location: The Forsyth Insititute, Seminar Room A, 245 First St., 17th Floor, Cambridge
Abstract: Autoimmune diseases may coexist in the same patient, either sequentially or concurrently, sustained by the presence of autoantibodies directed against the corresponding autoantigens. Due to the association of certain HLA class II alleles with autoimmune diseases, it has been intriguing to examine the immunogenetic basis for autoantigen presentation leading to the production of two or more autoantibodies, each distinctive of a specific disease. Several hypothetical mechanisms implicating HLA determinants, autoantigenic peptides, T cells, and B cells have recently been proposed to reveal the process by which two autoimmune diseases are induced in the same individual. These hypotheses have been tested here using a bioinformatics approach based on peptide binding predictions to disease-associated HLA determinants. Based on the published observations of shared autoimmunity and on theoretical predictions exploring the probability of its occurrence, 11 disease associations between autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disorders and systemic conditions have been tested. Various HLAs associated with antigens within a given “disease model” (set of HLA class II and protein sequences known to be associated with a specific autoimmune disease) are tested and ranked against the antigenic proteins, first with proteins they are known to associate with and then with proteins known to be implicated in the second model. In every case binding predictions are compared for different proteins binding to the same HLA. Subsequently, disease-related autoantigens have been tested for their binding affinity against each disease-specific HLA class II protein. Generally, for a single HLA haplotype, several binders have been generated from a related autoantigen with the variable binding score. In most cases, the binding score corresponding to the interactions between the autoantigen-derived epitope and the HLA associated with one disease was similar or lower than the interactions between the epitope from proteins associated with the second disease and the same HLA. Notably, there was no compelling promiscuity in peptide binding to each of the HLA molecules, in spite of the promiscuous nature of HLA class II binding. The data support the proposed hypothesis and suggest that in susceptible individuals shared autoimmunity might be initiated by two types of HLA/peptide interaction; first between an autoantigen-derived epitope and its disease-associated HLA molecules, and second, between a different peptide of the same autoantigen and HLA proteins specific for the second disease. These T cell epitopes interacting with two different disease-associated HLA molecules might lead to the induction of processes resulting in the generation of autoantibodies containing specificities for both conditions
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Pam Quattrocchi
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4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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The Primary Cilium Signaling: Regulation of Developmental Patterning and Polycistic Kidney Disease
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| Description: |
Tufts University Program in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Seminar Series.
Guest Speaker: Jagesh V. Shah, PhD, Associate Professor of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
Location: Tufts University Jaharis Behrakis Auditorium, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston
There will be a wine and cheese reception immediately following the seminar in the 5th floor library at 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston
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Sharon Titus
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Week of Sunday, June 5, 2011
