The next HLDA Workshop, HLDA9, will be Chaired by Pablo Engel, Immunology Unit. Department Cellular Biology and Pathology. Medical School; University of Barcelona. Casanova 143. Barcelona E-08036; e-mail: pengel@ub.edu The Workshop studies will be carried out over the next two years. The results will be presented at a Conference to be held in Barcelona at the end of 2009. This Conference, tentatively titled “B cell targeting”, will focus on B cell biology and will also serve as a forum to discuss the use of monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis and treatment of B cell-related diseases. Data, both from the last workshop (HLDA8) and from analyses of the human genome, indicate that a large number of B cell-associated molecules have yet to be characterized. Examples include receptors of the Fc homologue family and the high number of as yet uncharacterized 4TM members.

Goals of the Workshop

The aim of this workshop, as with previous HLDA Workshops, is to provide an invaluable and ongoing service to the scientific community.

HLDA9 will study a panel of monoclonal antibodies against B cell-associated molecules. Only monoclonal antibodies against known cloned molecules will be included in the panel. Thus, no unknown antibody blind panels will be carried out. Some antibodies against known CD molecules expressed on B cells will also be included in this panel. MAbs will be provided by both researches and companies.

1. Determine the reactivity of the mAbs on normal B cells and B cell malignancies.
2. Defining new B cell subsets.
3. Determining the expression of the B-cell associated molecules on other hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells.
4. Identification and expression of intracellular molecules or epitopes of B cell associated molecules.
5. Study of phospho-epitopes and other intracellular signaling molecules such as adapter molecules
6. Determine the triggered activation/apoptosis induced by therapeutic mAbs, particularly chimeric/ humanised/human mAbs

Sections (updated)

The Workshop studies will be coordinated by four chairpersons, each responsible for a section.
For more details on the sections and how you can contribute, click on the links below (opens a new tab).

1. Normal B cell and B cell subsets (FACS analysis).
2. B-cell malignancies (FACS analysis): Chairman Dr. Valter Gattei (Italy).
3. Immunohistochemical analysis of normal and malignant cells.
4. Intracellular signaling molecules (FACS analysis and immunohistology).

We want to get as many international research groups involved as possible to generate high quality expression data for all the submitted antibodies.

Subsections

1. TNFSF and TNFRSF molecules and B cells.
2. Fc-receptor homologues on B cells.
3. SLAMF molecules on B cells.
4. Innate immunity receptors on B cells.
5. Molecules on dendritic cells and B cells.
6. Myeloma and plasma cells
7. Ectodomain molecules and B cells

Conference

This conference should attract the interest of scientists working in the field of cell-surface molecules at all levels, from basic research to the development of antibodies for therapy. It should also attract the growing number of companies that sell antibodies for research and diagnosis, and which are now developing new technologies such as antibody and tissue arrays or signaling pathway arrays.

The Conference will focus on the following issues:

• B cell Biology. B cell development. B cell activation. B cell differentiation and plasma cells. Memory.
• Role of B cell in pathology. Diagnostic and therapy using mAbs against B-cell-associated molecules. B-cells in autoimmunity. B cell malignancies.
• New techniques in the generation of antibodies. Human antibodies. Ontology of the development of antibodies for therapy.

Submit antibodies

If you want to submit antibodies to the HLDA9 Workshop, please download the Antibody Submission Guidelines and the Antibody Submission Form (MS Word Documents):

    Antibody Submission Guidelines

    Antibody Submission Form

Please email the completed Antibody Submission Form to Joe Moore.

Submit studies

Register for mailing list

To register for the HLDA9 Mailing List and receive updates about the Workshop and Conference, please use this link to email Joe Moore.

Register for meeting

For further information on the HLDA9 Workshop, please contact:

Joe Moore
Admin Assistant to Dr. Pablo Engel

email: jmoore_hlda9@ub.edu

The 9th HLDA Workshop is now underway. Organized under the auspices of the Human Cell Differentiation Molecules (HCDM) organization, this is a two-year international collaborative effort that will culminate in the HLDA9 Conference, to be held in Barcelona, Spain at the end of 2009.

Since the First International Workshop on Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens (Paris, 1982), HLDA Workshops have been responsible for studying and naming 350 CD molecules, providing an internationally recognized universal nomenclature.

In fact, both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) require the HLDA stamp of approval for any commercial applications involving the use of antibodies as diagnostic reagents against CD molecules.

Hundreds of the world's leading scientists from the United States, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa participate in these workshops. As you rank among the world's leading biotechnology companies, I am seeking your support for the 9th HLDA Workshop. The sponsorship fee for the HLDA9 Workshop is $5,000/year.

In recognition and appreciation of this support, we offer several incentives that will provide invaluable brand exposure and sales opportunities. Specifically:

1) Sponsoring companies will be gratefully acknowledged, both on the HLDA Workshop's homepage, as well as on that of HCDM:

http://www.hldaworkshops.org
http://www.hcdm.org

2) In addition, a hyperlink will be provided next to each Workshop-confirmed CD antibody that you carry in your current catalog.  For example, please visit either of the above web pages, and then:

> Click on the "Molecule Information" tab
> Enter a CD number (e.g., CD33) in the search field
> Click on the search result, in this case CD33
> Click on the "Antibodies" tab

Among other information, this page displays which company (by name and with an active hyperlink) sells a particular antibody. In this instance, you'll notice BD Biosciences is already listed; several other companies have agreed to participate in this way.

The sponsor can direct the user to their company homepage or to their online catalog, etc.

In this way, sponsors will have the opportunity to advertise and market their products. This unique database offers scientists worldwide a powerful research tool, and potentially, a quick and easy method for directly placing an online order from your company.

We are already experiencing high and sustained traffic to our website, which we anticipate will only increase during the next two years and beyond. These links will remain active throughout the sponsorship year, available to interested visitors.

3) Workshop sponsors will also be visibly acknowledged at the HLDA9 Conference in Barcelona (date TBA, tentatively late 2009).

One distinction that must be made – sponsorship of the HLDA9 Workshop does not procure space at the Conference exhibit. That is a separate commitment and we welcome all inquiries. Certainly, please know that companies which sponsor the Workshop will receive special consideration when negotiating for space at the HLDA9 Conference.

However if your company wants to sponsor or organize a specific subsection of the workshop or conference, and/or are willing to provide reference mAb, we are open to such discussion as well.

Please write with any questions you may have, I'll be happy to help. I look forward to your participation in HLDA9.  Thank you for your consideration.

For more information, please contact Joe Moore.