How to get the most out of the ERS International Congress 2021 and an overview of the Early Career Member session

Sociedad Respiratoria Europea (ERS); Ayudar a los asistentesSocietat Respiratòria Europea (ERS); Ajudar els assistentsEuropean Respiratory Society (ERS); Help attendeesThis article provides a brief description of the Early Career Member session and guidance on how to get the most out of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2021, to help attendees plan their Congress in advance

How to get the most out of the ERS International Congress 2021 and an overview of the Early Career Member session

The annual European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress will take place in a virtual format, from 5 to 8 September 2021. As in previous years, the programme will be full of outstanding scientific sessions in the field of respiratory medicine and enriching opportunities for Early Career Members (ECMs). In this article, we provide an overview of the structure and content of the Congress, as well as tips on how to navigate the programme and get the most out of it. We also provide a brief description of the ECM session which will focus on the keys to success in science.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Highlights of the ERS Lung Science Conference 2022

This article presents the highlights of the ERS Lung Science Conference 2022, including a session organised by the Early Career Member Committee (ECMC) dedicated to career development https://bit.ly/3tarCXc Every year, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) organises the Lung Science Conference (LSC), in Estoril, to discuss basic and translational science. The topic of the 20th LSC was “Mucosal immunology of the lung: balancing protective immunity and chronic inflammation”. This was the first time that the LSC was organised as a hybrid congress with both in person and online attendance. In addition to an outstanding scientific programme, the LSC provides excellent opportunities for career development and inclusion of early career members (ECMs). All scientific and poster sessions are chaired by an ECM who is paired with a senior faculty to allow ECMs to become acquainted with session chairing, and there is a session organised by the Early Career Member Committee (ECMC) dedicated to career development. Moreover, travel bursaries are made available to abstract authors, and all bursary recipients and first-time attendees are invited to take part in a mentorship lunch. In this article, we provide the names of the ECM awardees and describe the scientific highlights of the LSC 2022 for those who could not attend.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Azithromycin alters spatial and temporal dynamics of airway microbiota in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BackgroundHigh bacterial burden in the lung microbiota predicts progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Azithromycin (AZT) is a macrolide antibiotic known to alter the lung microbiota in several chronic pulmonary diseases, and observational studies have shown a positive effect of AZT on mortality and hospitalisation rate in IPF. However, the effect of AZT on the lung microbiota in IPF remains unknown.MethodsWe sought to determine the impact of a 3-month course of AZT on the lung microbiota in IPF. We assessed sputum and oropharyngeal swab specimens from 24 adults with IPF included in a randomised controlled crossover trial of oral AZT 500 mg 3 times per week. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were performed to assess bacterial communities. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were assessed using real-time qPCR.ResultsAZT significantly decreased community diversity with a stronger and more persistent effect in the lower airways (sputum). AZT treatment altered the temporal kinetics of the upper (oropharyngeal swab) and lower airway microbiota, increasing community similarity between the two sites for 1 month after macrolide cessation. Patients with an increase in ARG carriage had lower bacterial density and enrichment of the genusStreptococcus. In contrast, patients with more stable ARG carriage had higher bacterial density and enrichment inPrevotella.ConclusionsAZT caused sustained changes in the diversity and composition of the upper and lower airway microbiota in IPF, with effects on the temporal and spatial dynamics between the two sites

ERS International Congress, Madrid, 2019: highlights from the Basic and Translational Science Assembly.

In this review, the Basic and Translational Sciences Assembly of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) provides an overview of the 2019 ERS International Congress highlights. In particular, we discuss how the novel and very promising technology of single cell sequencing has led to the development of a comprehensive map of the human lung, the lung cell atlas, including the discovery of novel cell types and new insights into cellular trajectories in lung health and disease. Further, we summarise recent insights in the field of respiratory infections, which can aid in a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these infections in order to develop novel vaccines and improved treatment options. Novel concepts delineating the early origins of lung disease are focused on the effects of pre- and post-natal exposures on neonatal lung development and long-term lung health. Moreover, we discuss how these early life exposures can affect the lung microbiome and respiratory infections. In addition, the importance of metabolomics and mitochondrial function analysis to subphenotype chronic lung disease patients according to their metabolic program is described. Finally, basic and translational respiratory science is rapidly moving forward and this will be beneficial for an advanced molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying a variety of lung diseases. In the long-term this will aid in the development of novel therapeutic targeting strategies in the field of respiratory medicine

Experience of being chair and co-chair of the ECMC and reasons why you should be the NEXT

In this article, we provide an overview of the experience of being chair and co-chair of the Early Career Member Committee (ECMC) of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) from past and current officers – Niki Ubags (past chair), Maxime Patout (past co-chair), Sara Cuevas Ocaña (current chair) and Thomas Gille (current co-chair) (figure 1). The past chair and co-chair share their main achievements and challenges as leaders of the ECMC, and how the position has impacted (or is impacting) their career. The current chair and co-chair provide their view of the ECMC for the future and the goals to achieve during their mandate.We also outline the ERS Networking EXcellence Training (NEXT) programme and provide testimonials from ERS members who were invited to participate in the first edition of the programme, and selected to present their work in the Science slam session at the ERS Congress 2022. Find out the reasons why you should be NEXT

Gut-derived short-chain fatty acids modulate skin barrier integrity by promoting keratinocyte metabolism and differentiation

Barrier integrity is central to the maintenance of healthy immunological homeostasis. Impaired skin barrier function is linked with enhanced allergen sensitization and the development of diseases such as atopic dermatitis (AD), which can precede the development of other allergic disorders, for example, food allergies and asthma. Epidemiological evidence indicates that children suffering from allergies have lower levels of dietary fibre-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Using an experimental model of AD-like skin inflammation, we report that a fermentable fibre-rich diet alleviates systemic allergen sensitization and disease severity. The gut-skin axis underpins this phenomenon through SCFA production, particularly butyrate, which strengthens skin barrier function by altering mitochondrial metabolism of epidermal keratinocytes and the production of key structural components. Our results demonstrate that dietary fibre and SCFA improve epidermal barrier integrity, ultimately limiting early allergen sensitization and disease development. The Graphical Abstract was designed using Servier Medical Art images (https://smart.servier.com). [Image: see text