Evolution of mast cell research associated with the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, 1985-2022: Summary of the 2023 NIAID Symposium.

Present and former investigators of the Mast Cell Biology Section (MCBS) of the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases (LAD) and their colleagues organized a daylong symposium in October 2023 to honor the outstanding contributions of the MCBS headed by Dr Dean D. Metcalfe, who recently retired from his leadership role in this department. The symposium featured an overview of discoveries that advanced the scientific understanding of the human mast cell (MC) lineage and compartment over the preceding 3 decades. Insights into mechanisms and molecules contributing to MC expansion and function in health and disease, MC activation, and neoplastic MCs in mastocytosis were presented. The impact of these discoveries on the diagnosis and management of allergic diseases and MC disorders, as well as unmet needs in MC research, were reviewed. A summary of these discussions is provided.