The innate immune system is the first line of response to pathogens and tissue injury. Specialized cells have evolved mechanisms to detect microbial and distress signals and translate these into effector mechanisms that fight infections, amplify inflammation, initiate acquired immunity and eventually resolve. Although the innate immune response is usually associated with infectious disease, it has been implicated in a broad range of diseases, including cancer, autoimmunity, degenerative and vascular diseases. This conference provides multidisciplinary perspectives on innate immunity, from fundamental science to clinical aspects of disease, as well as therapeutic approaches to immune modulation. The conference program will focus on recent advances in this rapidly developing field. Presentations will provide new insights into mechanisms of microbial and distress sensing and the effector mechanisms of innate immune cells including macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells and innate lymphoid cells. The program will also highlight new approaches to understanding protective and pathogenic innate immune function, and emerging therapeutic opportunities for targeting these mechanisms in disease.

This new virtual meeting format came out of difficult circumstances, but your commitment to scientific progress is what inspired us to launch Keystone eSymposia. In these virtual meetings, we are capturing the same innovative essence of our in-person meetings that you've all created as a scientific community. Here, Debbie Johnson, our CEO, explains how we're going to do that.