Meeting Report

 

SIRCON 2023: A brief overview

Chandrashekara S

 

Author Affiliations

Organizing Secretary, SIRCON 2023

 

Correspondence: Chandrashekara S

chandrashekara_s@yahoo.com

 

IJIR. 2023;(7)1:R1

DOI: 10.15305/ijir.v7i1.383

 

 Submitted: 7 November 2023, Published: 8 November 2023

A report on the conference of the Society of Inflammation Research-SIRCON-2023 held at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru on 17th September 2023.

 

Session 1

The session commenced with an oration lecture on ‘Kawasaki Disease: An Interplay between Infection, Inflammation, and Genetics’ by Dr. Surjit Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatric Medicine at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. Dr. Singh discussed the history of Kawasaki disease and emphasized the significance of its diagnosis and treatment. He concluded the lecture by highlighting the increasing incidence of Kawasaki disease in India and the importance of pediatricians being well-versed in the complexities of diagnosing this condition.

 

Session 2

The second session commenced with a lecture on the interplay of pro-inflammatory cytokines in active lupus, delivered by Dr. Vandana D. Pradhan, Scientist D and Head of the Department of Clinical & Experimental Immunology at ICMR-National Institute of Immunohematology, Mumbai. Dr. Pradhan focused on the inflammatory responses in lupus that lead to an imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

 

Following that, Dr. Siddharth Jhunjhunwala, Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate Professor at the Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, delivered a lecture on the topic of ‘Neutrophils and Inflammation’. He discussed the systemic perspective of neutrophils’ function in the context of biomaterials. His lecture concluded with a brief overview of their ongoing projects analyzing immune responses, especially neutrophils, in individuals with diabetes compared to healthy individuals.

 

The session was brought to a close with a lecture by Dr.Srinivas V. Kaveri, Directeur de Recherche (DRCE) at CNRS, Paris, France, and Directeur at CNRS, New Delhi, India. Through his lecture on ‘Antibodies in Inflammation: Friend or Foe?’, he delved into the role of antibodies and their influence on the regulation of immune hemostasis. The session concluded with medical students sharing their perspectives and works on inflammation.

 

Session 3

The third session opened with a lecture by Prof. Sylviane Muller, Professor at the University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS), holding the Chair of Therapeutic Immunology at CNRS, France. She discussed the topic ‘Autophagy in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases’ as a dysregulated pathway and a potential target for therapy. Prof. Muller also touched on various preclinical studies involving animal models in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, emphasizing the benefits of p140 treatment.

 

Subsequently, Dr. Subramanian R., M.D. (Medicine), Post-Doctoral Fellow (Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology), and Professor at JSS Medical College & Hospital, Mysore, presented a lecture titled ‘Ankylosing Spondylitis - Is it an Autoimmune Disease or Autoinflammatory Disease?’. He explored the spectrum of autoimmune and autoinflammatory rheumatic diseases and discussed the immunopathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis.

 

Following Dr. Subramanian’s lecture, Dr. Jyothirmay Biswas, Director of the Uveitis & Ocular Pathology Department at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, delivered a lecture on ‘Sympathetic Ophthalmitis - Recent Updates’. He highlighted that pars plana vitrectomy has become a significant cause of sympathetic ophthalmitis, and cataract surgery in the sympathizing eye after inflammation resolution may improve visual outcomes.

 

The session concluded with a panel discussion on collaborative research, with a focus on both basic and clinical research, led by Dr. M. Balasubramanyam, Ph.D., ICMR Emeritus Scientist, and Professor & Advisor at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai.