CALL FOR DISCUSSION: bionet.immunology

[David Kristofferson]

We have received a proposal for a new newsgroup, bionet.immunology.

Discussion will now be open through 17 May on BIOFORUM/bionet.general
(*not* on BIONEWS/bionet.announce).

Please do not post one-line messages saying only "I am in favor of
such a newsgroup".  We will collect votes later.  The discussion
period is an opportunity for anyone to bring up reservations about the
proposed charter and to propose modifications prior to the vote.  The
discussion leader may submit a revised proposal in light of the
discussion, and the new charter would be included in the call for votes
which will go out on the 18th.

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Discussion leader:      Donald R. Forsdyke
                        Department of Biochemistry,
                        Queen's University,
                        Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L3N6


Topics of interest would be:

   Mechanism of self/not-self discrimination
   Evolution and role of MHC polymorphism
   Two signal hypotheses
   Education of T cells
   Education of B cells
   T cell and B cell cooperation
   G0/G1 switch to activate ICCs (immunologically competent cells)
   Mechanisms of ICC deletion or suppression
   T cell receptors
   B cell receptors
   Lymphokines
   Signal transduction pathways
   Complement
   Parasite strategies to avoid the immune response
   Why does not a placental mammal not reject the fetal "graft"
   Relationship of heat-shock response to intracellular self discrimination
   Mechanism of action of cyclosporine
   The acute phase response
   Role of fever in infections- positive or negative?
   Etc.

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