Autoimmunity, characterized by autoreactive lymphocytes and autoantibodies, is the consequence of a failure to discriminate between self and non-self, and autoimmune diseases are an increasing threat to people living in the industrialized countries. Autoimmune disorders are treatable, but not curable, and patients can face disability at later stages of the disease. Thus, there is a medical and economic need for new concepts and treatments in autoimmune disorders. New concepts and treatments can only be achieved by an interdisciplinary approach bringing together expertise, technologies, and clinical experience. The workshop focused on multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and type I diabetes, and discussed conventional drug therapies, gene therapy, cell and tissue transplantation therapies, and first treatments using blood stem cells for reprogramming the patients' immune system.

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She, Eckenrode, Ruan, Marron, Li, M.C.K. Yang, J. Yang, Hopkins, Muir and McIndoe: Microarray Technology in the Pathogenesis and Management of Autoimmune Disorders; Ristori, Bomprezzi, Buttinelli, Montesperelli, Cannoni, Perna, Mattei, C.Pozzilli, M. Salvetti: New Concepts in Pathology and Treatment of Autoimmune Disorders: MS Perspective; P. Pozzilli, G. Coppolino, L. Monetini, L. Nisticò: Type 1 Diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis: Similarities and Dissimilarities; R. Hohlfeld: Immunotherapeutic Strategies for Multiple Sclerosis; Bielekova and Martin: Specific Immunotherapy of Multiple Sclerosis by Altered Peptide Ligands - Risk or Benefit?; MacDonald, Nagata, Fairclough, McKenzie : Mucosal Immunity - A Key to Tolerance; Berney and Ricordi: New Strategies in Clinical Islet Cell Transplantation; Passweg, Gratwohl and Tyndall: Autologous Hemopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation for Autoimmune Disease;