4TH EUROPEAN CONGRESS OF REPRODUCTIVE IMMUNOLOGY,JULY 5–9, 2006, GRAZ, AUSTRIA

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We would like to welcome you to the Fourth

European Congress of Reproductive Immuno-

logy.

The meeting is organized under the auspices of

the International Society for Immunology of Repro-

duction (ISIR), the European Society for Reproduc-

tive Immunology (ESRADI), the Alps-Adria Society

for Immunology of Reproduction (AASIR), the Aus-

trian Society for Allergology and Immunology (OE-

GAI) and the Austrian Society for Reproductive

Medicine and Endocrinology (ASRE).

The conference will comprise a combination of

keynote lectures, oral and poster presentations, as

well as a pre-congress workshop and a presentation

of EMBIC highlights (European Network of Excel-

lence on Embryo Implantation Control). We hope to

offer you a stimulating and exciting program with

recent advances in the fields of reproductive and

developmental immunology.

The objectives of the conference are to review the

following topics:l Gamete Immunologyl Regulation of Implantation and Trophoblast Inva-

sionl Cells and Cytokines at the maternal-fetal Interfacel MHC and Reproductionl Complement and Reproduction

l Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase and materno-fetal

Interactionsl Mucosal Immunologyl Placental Pathology and Preeclampsial Stress and Reproductive Systeml Stem Cells and IVF

The conference is being held in Graz, Austria. Graz

is the capital of the province of Styria. With about a

quarter of a million inhabitants, Graz is Austria’s

second largest city. The city lies at an intersection of

several European cultures. Romanic, Slavic, Magyar

and Alpine-Germanic influences have mixed here to

form a uniquely distinctive character. 2003 was one

of the most significant years in our history. Graz was

named ‘‘Cultural Capital of Europe‘‘ by the EU Min-

istries of Culture. With a vital and colorful cultural

program, Graz managed to attract visitors from all

over the world and generate an ongoing resonance.

As a cultural capital, Graz has claimed a significant

place on the map and today is mentioned in the

same breath as Vienna and Salzburg.

We hope you will enjoy your stay in Graz and the

scientific interactions during the conference.

Yours sincerely,

Heinz Hutter and Gottfried Dohr

Graz, July 2006

INTRODUCTION

American Journal of Reproductive Immunology 56 (2006) 1 ª 2006 The Authors

Journal compilation ª 2006 Blackwell Munksgaard 1