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Don’t miss out — register to be part of the action-packed proceedings.

After prior annual meetings in Ireland and Wales, Celtic Cytokines is coming to Scotland. Plans are well underway, and we are excited to announce that registration for Cytokines 2026 in Glasgow is now open. The theme for the programme is ‘Translating Cytokines,’ and we very much hope you will join us this coming autumn (18-21 October).

Cytokines and their receptors detect and sense environmental changes that shape processes essential for health, disease susceptibility, and disease progression. As a society, we are proud that our research on interferons, interleukins, chemokines, growth factors, and the tumour necrosis factor family has advanced fundamental discovery, translational research, and experimental medicine, leading to targeted therapies for infections, inflammation, and cancer. These include biologics and small-molecule inhibitors targeting pathways such as TNF, IL-6, IL-17, GM-CSF, and Janus kinases. Our research has also contributed to clinical and technological innovations that have improved patient diagnosis and stratification and the monitoring of clinical outcomes. Members of the ICIS have therefore had a major influence on global health, and the society has been instrumental in engaging and facilitating interactions among fundamental discovery scientists, clinicians, other healthcare professionals, and colleagues from the pharmaceutical sector. The Cytokines 2026 programme in Glasgow promises to build on this rich history.

Biological and targeted medicines that inhibit or modulate specific cytokine pathways are frequently prescribed in routine clinical practice to treat patients with cancer, infectious disease, or complex immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. While these have transformed the quality of life for millions of patients, we still have much to learn about cytokine biology, with emerging research establishing regulatory roles in immunometabolism, mental health and fatigue, vaccination strategies, immune homeostasis, and the interpretation of population-based and epidemiological data. A detailed mechanistic understanding of cytokine biology is now firmly entrenched in guiding personalised medicine and the treatment of diseases with complex comorbidities and multimorbidity. The speaker programme for Cytokines 2026 will reflect this future potential, with talks from established cytokine biologists well recognised within the cytokine community and others who are internationally recognised leaders in aligned fields of fundamental, population-based, or clinical research.

Beyond the scientific programme, we have worked to introduce sessions that support the career development and aspirations of our early-career researchers. With sessions supported by the Royal Society and the Learned Society of Wales, we will host events dedicated to developing academic-industry partnerships and career advice from colleagues who have applied their academic training in other professions — including grant administration, scientific journalism, industry, patent law, and venture capital. More information on these sessions will be provided shortly; be sure to indicate your interest when registering.

So, select your tartan, pack your sporrans, and we look forward to hosting you in Glasgow.