“Novel insights into the roles of mast cells and basophils”: Joint Webinar of the Japanese and the European Histamine Research Societies (JHRS/EHRS)

The joint webinar of the Japanese (JHRS) and the European (EHRS) Histamine Research Society focusing on “Novel insights into the roles of mast cells and basophils” was organized in hybrid format on January 7, 2022 during the 23rd meeting of the JHRS held in Kyoto, Japan. Tissue mast cells and circulating basophils are the primary sources of histamine, and they are considered to be pivotal components shaping inflammatory and immune-related processes. The webinar comprised four lectures delivered by experts in the field from Japan and the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network (EMBRN) that exposed novel insights into the contribution of basophils and mast cells in inflammatory and (auto)immune diseases, including allergies, asthma, and urticaria. Several targets were also highlighted in terms of developing novel and improved treatments for these pathologies.