Mast cells and basophils are best known for their key role during allergic responses [1]. Yet, they also have pivotal functions in innate and acquired (via IgE) defense mechanisms against microbes and parasites as well as in the neutralization of certain toxins such as snake venoms, through the release of proteases and other mediators contained in their cytoplasmic granules [2, 3] (Figure 1, example of a mast cell releasing cytoplasmic granules stained using fluorochrome‐labeled avidin, red). Recent work indicates that these cells have also important functions in a much broader range of inflammatory and pathological conditions including autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, neuroinflammatory disease and even cancer. However, the mechanisms by which mast cells and basophils mediate their functions in these settings remain largely unknown. Not surprisingly, these new aspects of mast cell and basophil biology have raised interest in the immunology community, with the emergence of new groups focused on studying their involvement in the maintenance of homeostasis and the promotion of disease.

While these groups are well organized at the European level, within the European Mast Cell and Basophil Research Network (EMBRN, https://www.embrn.eu/welcome-to-embrn.html), we felt that such a network was missing in France. This was discussed at the annual meeting of the French Society for Immunology (SFI) in Reims, France, in late 2017, and the French Mast Cell and Basophil Club was created one year later (Figure 2) as one of nine Clubs of the SFI [4]. A first meeting of the Club was organized in Paris in November 2018 at Imagine Institute, with around 100 participants. Both basic and clinical research on mast cells and basophils were discussed, with an opening lecture from Dr. Gunnar Pejler (Uppsala University, Sweden) on the role of mast cell proteases in health and disease. A mast cell and basophil session was also organized by the club during the Annual meeting of the SFI in Nantes in November 2019, with a keynote lecture from Dr. Adrian Piliponsky (Seattle Children's Research Institute, USA) entitled ‘Unraveling the role of mast cells and basophils in innate immunity and sepsis’.

The main goal of our club is to foster interactions between researchers and clinicians working on all aspects of mast cell and basophil biology in France and beyond to promote collaborations, tool exchange, know‐how spreading and trainees formation. The club provides a platform for exchange of knowledge and protocols, with a dedicated website hosted by the SFI: https://immunology.fr/en/club/club-mastocyte-basophile/.

A one‐day symposium devoted to mast cells and basophils is organized by the club every two years with the following main general guidelines: (i) a scientific program on recent advances in mast cell and basophil biology both in basic and clinical research, (ii) while allergy is a major driver for many groups working on mast cells and basophils, we are also particularly interested in discussing emerging functions of these cells outside the allergy field, (iii) all oral presentations are selected from abstracts, with a preferential selection of young scientists (PhD students and postdocs), and, (iv) the meeting is entirely organized in English, and international keynote speakers are invited to present key recent advances in the field. Our next symposium has been postponed to early 2021 due to the COVID‐19 pandemic (more details will appear on the webpage of the Mast Cell and Basophil club soon).

Every researcher and clinician interested in mast cell and basophil biology is invited to participate to our meetings and become a member of the club. For more information on the French Mast Cell and Basophil Club visit our website or contact us by email at mcbaclub@gmail.com.

肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞最著名的是它们在过敏反应中的关键作用[ 1 ]。然而，它们还通过释放其细胞质颗粒中所含的蛋白酶和其他介体，在先天和后天（通过IgE）对微生物和寄生虫的防御机制以及对某些毒素（如蛇毒）的中和中具有关键作用[ 2]。 ，3]（图1，肥大细胞释放胞质颗粒的例子，荧光素标记的抗生物素蛋白染色，红色）。最近的工作表明，这些细胞在更广泛的炎性和病理性疾病中也具有重要功能，包括自身免疫性疾病，心血管疾病，皮肤病，神经炎性疾病，甚至癌症。但是，在这些情况下肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞介导其功能的机制仍然未知。毫不奇怪，肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞生物学的这些新方面引起了免疫学界的关注，新的研究小组的出现专注于研究他们在维持体内稳态和促进疾病中的作用。

虽然这些小组在欧洲范围内组织良好，但在欧洲肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞研究网络（EMBRN，https://www.embrn.eu/welcome-to-embrn.html）内，我们感到缺少这样一个网络在法国。2017年底在法国兰斯举行的法国免疫学会（SFI）年度会议上对此进行了讨论，一年后成立了法国肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞俱乐部（图2），这是SFI的九个俱乐部之一[ 4]。俱乐部的第一次会议于2018年11月在巴黎的Imagine Institute举行，约有100名参与者。讨论了有关肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞的基础和临床研究，并由Gunnar Pejler博士（瑞典乌普萨拉大学）作了关于肥大细胞蛋白酶在健康和疾病中的作用的开幕演讲。在2019年11月于南特举行的SFI年度会议期间，俱乐部还组织了肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞会议，Adrian Piliponsky博士（美国西雅图儿童研究所）作了主题演讲，题为``揭示肥大细胞的作用和嗜碱性粒细胞的先天免疫和败血症”。

我们俱乐部的主要目标是促进研究法国及其他地区肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞生物学各个方面的研究人员与临床医生之间的互动，以促进协作，工具交换，专业知识传播和受训人员的形成。俱乐部提供了一个知识和协议交流的平台，该网站由SFI托管，网址为：https：//immunology.fr/en/club/club-mastocyte-basophile/。

俱乐部每两年举办一次为期一天的肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞专题讨论会，其主要指导原则如下：（i）关于基础和临床研究中肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞生物学最新进展的科学计划，（ii ）过敏是许多研究肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞的研究小组的主要推动力，但我们也特别有兴趣讨论这些细胞在过敏领域之外的新兴功能，（iii）所有口头陈述均选自摘要，优先选择青年科学家（博士生和博士后），以及（iv）会议完全用英语组织，邀请国际主旨演讲者介绍该领域的最新进展。由于COVID-19大流行，我们的下一次研讨会已推迟到2021年初（更多详细信息将很快在Mast Cell and Basophil俱乐部的网页上显示）。

邀请所有对肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞生物学感兴趣的研究人员和临床医生参加我们的会议并成为该俱乐部的成员。有关法国肥大细胞和嗜碱性粒细胞俱乐部的更多信息，请访问我们的网站或通过电子邮件mcbaclub@gmail.com与我们联系。