Grace Kerby Distinguished Professor of Pathology Soman Abraham, PhD, was an invited speaker at the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network Meeting (EMBRN) that was held in Toulouse, France from May 29th to 31st, 2024. His talk, titled “The Many Faces of Mast Cells During Infections,” reviewed 25 years of his work on this topic. The conference had over 200 attendees from 19 countries.
Although mast cells are well-known in causing various diseases including life-threatening allergies, Abraham and others have shown that they play a critical role in protecting the body from bacterial and viral infections. In his talk, he discussed the many beneficial actions of mast cells during infection. He also revealed that, when infections become chronic or overwhelming, the mast cells can switch roles to become harmful or even deadly.
Mast cells and basophils are prominent granule-containing immune cells found in tissue and in the blood, respectively. These cells were best known for their crucial role in promoting allergic diseases but they can also contribute to autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases.
“Recently, these cells have become interesting to immunologists, as their beneficial roles, especially with regards to their sentinel role against infections, have become clear,” said Abraham.
Since its launch eight years ago, EMBRN has become the leading global network on mast cell and basophil biology and mast cell and basophil-driven diseases. Its members’ research has led to a better understanding of the physiological and pathological functions of mast cells and basophils and to better treatment options for patients with mast cell and basophil-driven diseases.