Generous donor and matching ICIS funds endow annual memorial lecture honoring Professor Jürg Tschopp whose discoveries in the area of inflammasomes and cell death advanced fundamental understanding of innate and adaptive immunity bringing new therapies to patients suffering from debilitating inflammatory diseases.
Each year the Jürg Tschopp Memorial Lecture will be a highlight of the Cytokines Annual Meetings beginning with the Cytokines 2022 Hybrid Meeting where Dr. Tschopp’s ability to take fundamental discoveries at the bench into the clinic fits perfectly with the meeting’s theme “CYTOKINE OHANA: BRIDGING PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS”.
Jürg Tschopp Memorial Symposium: Cytokines, inflammation and autoimmunity, Friday, 23 September from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM HST
Session Chairs: Luke O’Neill/Carola Vinuesa, with an introduction by Luke O’Neill
- Jürg Tschopp Memorial Lecturer: Ruslan Medzhitov, Yale School of Medicine, USA
- Invited Speaker 2: Carla Rothlin, Yale School of Medicine, USA
- Invited Speaker 3: Yoshiya Tanaka, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
- Invited Speaker 4: Virginia Pascual, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA
- Discussion
The purpose of the Jürg Tschopp Memorial Symposium is to inspire current and future generations of scientists to perform cutting edge research that can be translated to make a difference in patients’ lives in honor of Dr. Tschopp’s legacy.
Of particular relevance to the cytokine society is Tschopp’s discovery of the inflammasome complex, a protein complex that coordinates the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL18 which propagate the inflammatory response. “In a scientific tour de force, Tschopp’s laboratory showed that the tender, swollen joints and excruciating pain associated with gout are caused by uric-acid crystals activating the inflammasome. Based on these findings, Tschopp persuaded the clinical-rheumatology group at the University of Lausanne to conduct human trials using IL1RA, to block IL1 one of the cytokines driving inflammation downstream of the inflammasome, now a treatment for gout. The results were stunning. Patients enjoyed almost immediate, dramatic and prolonged relief.” From Vishva Dixit, Genentech
OBITUARY| Cell Volume 145, Issye 4, P493-494, MAY 13, 2011, Jürg Tschopp 1951–2011, Richard A. Flavell
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2011.04.027
Nature Volume 472, page 296 (2011) Published: 13 April 2011
Jürg Tschopp (1951–2011), Vishva Dixit
https://www.nature.com/articles/472296a
Science Vol 332, issue 6030, page 679 Published May 2011
Jürg Tschopp (1951–2011), Luke A. O’Neill