JMF centre Melbourne at the ESID biennial meeting

Members from the JMF centre Melbourne at the ESID biennial meeting

In October, nine members of the JMF centre Melbourne attended the 18th Biennial meeting of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) in Lisbon, Portugal. ESID brings together experts from around the world to present and discuss the latest research into immunodeficiencies. The theme of this year’s meeting was “Primary Immunodeficiencies – From Fetus to the Elderly”, which aimed to bridge the gaps between basic research and clinical applications.

A/Prof Menno van Zelm and Dr Emily Edwards from the Monash University Department of Immunology both presented posters at the meeting. A/Prof van Zelm presented two posters, the first discussed a technique which may be used to improve newborn screening for PIDs involving the quantification of T-cell replication history. A/Prof van Zelm’s second poster presented a case study of a patient with X-linked agammaglobulinemia who received a stem cell transplant. Dr Edwards presented an E-Poster on a case study of CD21 deficiency which showed an unusual immunological and clinical presentation. Dr Edwards was awarded the ESID Best E-Poster Prize for her presentation.

Dr Edwards was able to attend the meeting thanks to a British Society for Immunology International Travel Grant.

A/Prof Menno van Zelm presenting his poster titled Next generation TREC analysis to quantify extensive memory T-cell proliferation and abnormal T-cell replication in antibody deficiency, and to improve newborn screening

Dr Emily Edwards presenting her E-poster titled CD21 deficiency: an unusually severe immune defect due to a homozygous point mutation