Preface
The 1st International Workshop in the Molecular and Cell Biology of Autoan-
tibodies and Autoimmunity is convened at a time when recombinant DNA tech-
niques have yielded the first set of data providing initial glimpses of epitopes
recognized by autoantibodies.
It’s aim is to bring together cell and molecular biologists with clinical scien-
tists to discuss the broad spectrum of questions concerning the relationship be-
tween clinical symptoms and the specificity of autoantibodies.
The response to the call for abstracts was overwhelming: Nearly one hundred
abstracts were received from many laboratories throughout the world. The topics
covered by them are representative of the current research efforts going on to
study cause and effect of autoimmune diseases. One of the aims of this workshop
is to bring the rapid advances in the elucidation of the molecular structure of
autoantigens to the attention of immunologists, cell biologists and clinical scien-
tists and also to make molecular biologists become aware of the difficulties lying
ahead in trying to understand the cellular and molecular basis of rheumatic dis-
eases.
The organisers wish to thank NIH, BMFT and the Japanese Educational
Foundation for financial support, the Heidelberg Academy for the Humanities
and Sciences for hosting the workshop, Springer Verlag for their generous
cooperation in including late abstracts in this volume, and, last not least,
Ms. Simone Krambs for untiring secretarial help.
For the organizing committee:
E.K.F. Bautz
E.M. Tan
The 1st International Workshop in the Molecular and Cell Biology of Autoan-
tibodies and Autoimmunity is convened at a time when recombinant DNA tech-
niques have yielded the first set of data providing initial glimpses of epitopes
recognized by autoantibodies.
It’s aim is to bring together cell and molecular biologists with clinical scien-
tists to discuss the broad spectrum of questions concerning the relationship be-
tween clinical symptoms and the specificity of autoantibodies.
The response to the call for abstracts was overwhelming: Nearly one hundred
abstracts were received from many laboratories throughout the world. The topics
covered by them are representative of the current research efforts going on to
study cause and effect of autoimmune diseases. One of the aims of this workshop
is to bring the rapid advances in the elucidation of the molecular structure of
autoantigens to the attention of immunologists, cell biologists and clinical scien-
tists and also to make molecular biologists become aware of the difficulties lying
ahead in trying to understand the cellular and molecular basis of rheumatic dis-
eases.
The organisers wish to thank NIH, BMFT and the Japanese Educational
Foundation for financial support, the Heidelberg Academy for the Humanities
and Sciences for hosting the workshop, Springer Verlag for their generous
cooperation in including late abstracts in this volume, and, last not least,
Ms. Simone Krambs for untiring secretarial help.
For the organizing committee:
E.K.F. Bautz
E.M. Tan