Disease Knowledge Centres

  • Immunology - Disease Topic Overview

    Immunology is the branch of biology that studies the immune system, and the mechanisms involved in the defense of an organism when it is confronted with a foreign substance (antigen).

    The innate immune system has evolved over billions of years by the interaction of micro-organisms with antigens.1 The emergence of the adaptive immune system seems, however, more recent and coincided with the arrival of the first jawed vertebrates, some 400 million years ago.2 This system, which was more accurate and efficient, gave better protection against virulent pathogens, or pathogens that were difficult to remove.2

    During the past 35 years, research in immunology has made significant progress, particularly since the discovery of the first hybridoma technique for producing monoclonal antibodies.3 The most notable progress is probably the one concerning the use of these antibodies in the treatment of human diseases such as; autoimmune diseases (Crohn's disease4, psoriasis5), cancer (breast6, colorectal7) and graft versus host disease.8

    However, other challenges have to be faced in the next decade for the development of safer, more efficient, and cheaper therapeutic antibodies. This will only be achieved through a deeper understanding of the immune system and its actions, and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in antigen recognition.9

    1. Marchalonis J. J. et al. Natural recognition repertoire and the evolutionary emergence of the combinatorial immune system. The FASEB Journal. 2002 ;16 : 842-848.
    2. Usharauli D. Chronic infection and the origin of adaptive immune system. Medical Hypotheses. 2010 ; 75 (2) : 241-243.
    3. Bradbury A. R. M. et al. Beyond natural antibodies: the power of in vitro display technologies. Nature Biotechnology. 2011 ; 29 : 245-254.
    4. Ito H. et al. A pilot randomized trial of a human anti-interleukin-6 receptor monoclonal antibody in active Crohn’s disease. Gastroenterology. 2004 ; 126 (4) : 989-996.
    5. Gottlieb A.B. et al. Evaluation of safety and clinical activity of multiple doses of the anti-CD80 monoclonal antibody, galiximab, in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Clinical Immunology. 2004 ; 111 (1) : 28-37.
    6. Nielsen D. L. et al. HER2-targeted therapy in breast cancer. Monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Cancer Treatment Reviews. 2009 ; 35 (2) : 121-136.
    7. Ferrara N. et al. Bevacizumab (Avastin), a humanized anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for cancer therapy. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2005 ; 333 (2) : 328-335.
    8. van Dorp S. et al. Rituximab Treatment before Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Transplantation Associates with a Decreased Incidence of Extensive Chronic GVHD. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. 2009 ; 15 (6) : 671-678.
    9. Leavy O. Therapeutic antibodies: past, present and future. Nature Reviews Immunology. May 2010 ; 10 : 297 -297.

Latest Multi Media

An Animation of The Main Roles of the Immune System

Immunology Drug Data - A-Z English


Latest Drug News

NICE refuses to recommend Benlysta for SLE - 03-10-2011
In a draft guidance, NICE, the health technology appraisal institute for England and Wales, has provisionally rejected Benlysta (belimumab) from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Human Genome Sciences (HGS), for the treatment of adult patients with active autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus, where patients have a high degree of disease activity despite the individual receiving standard therapy. GSK plans to contest the decision.
Baxter files subcutaneous HyQ at EMA for Primary Immune Deficiency - 30-09-2011
The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP)has accepted an application from Baxter International for a marketing authorization for HyQ. HyQ is Baxter's investigational immunoglobulin (IG) therapy administered subcutaneously and facilitated by recombinant human hyaluronidase, a dispersion and permeation enhancer, for use in patients with primary immunodeficiencies. The application is based on results from a phase III, prospective, open-label, non-controlled design clinical trial, which evaluated the safety and effectiveness of HyQ in the prevention of acute serious bacterial infections, and the pharmacokinetic parameters of HyQ compared to IG administered intravenously.

Latest Social Media

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Latest Clinical Trials

E-support for Healthcare Processes - ASTHMA (E-ASTHMA)
The purpose of the study is to establish and clinically evaluate a new approach to treating asthma by using information and communication technologies (ICT). A mobile environment, and organizational interventions to improve the process of an integrated treatment of people with asthma will be identified, developed, introduced and clinically evaluated.
Promoting Asthma Wellness in Rural Communities
This is a research study that compares the effectiveness of a web-based program (known as Puff City) and another web-based program (of internet sites such as the American Lung Association, American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology, etc) that targets five key asthma management issues among rural youth: 1. Improving adherence to asthma controller medication use; 2. Improving compliance of carrying a rescue inhaler at all times for use at the first sign of asthma symptoms; 3. Improving inhaler technique; 4. Smoking reduction or cessation in those who are smokers; and 5. Avoidance of second-hand smoke exposure.

Latest Journal Publications

International Journal of Molecular Medicine
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, characterized by a combination of abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes, immunology and vascular proliferation. Proteomic analyses have revealed some clues regarding the pathogenesis of psoriasis. In the present study, we conducted an investigation of different proteomes of psoriatic lesional skin, and compared them with those of normal and non-lesional psoriatic skin. We performed 2-D gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis and database searches. Expression of proteins were evaluated by immunoblot and immunohistochemistry analyses. Our data showed differential expression of 74 and 145 protein spots in non-lesional and lesional psoriatic skin, respectively. Eleven of 36 proteins, which were identified by LC-MS/MS, were categorized as apoptosis-regulating proteins. Other protein spots were categorized as proteins with involvement in the negative regulation of apoptosis, defense response-related proteins and inflammatory response. Of particular interest, increased expression of glutathione S transferase 1 (GSTP1) and peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX2), which are involved in the Redox balance system, and SFN, which is involved in the cellular proliferation system, was observed in psoriatic lesional skin. Localization of GSTP1 and SFN was observed above the middle layer of the epidermis in psoriatic skin lesions. Expression of PRDX2 was clearly observed below the middle layer of the epidermis in chronic type psoriatic skin lesions. Taken together, 36 identified proteins were associated with biological regulation, including regulation of cell death, defense response, inflammatory response and reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation. PRDX2 and GSTP1 may play roles in compensating mechanisms for reduction of ROS stress, and SFN may play roles in prevention of cancer development in proliferating cells through G2/M cell cycle arrest upon accidental DNA damage within psoriatic skin lesions.
Biomaterials
The monocyte/macrophage system plays a central role in host defense, wound healing and immune regulation at biomaterial surfaces. Monocytes can be classically and alternatively activated, and can be stimulated differently in response to variations in biomaterial surface properties. In this study, human monocytes, cultured on polystyrene surfaces (Ps), were activated either classically, by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or alternatively, by interleukin-4 (IL-4). Monocytes were also cultured on anodically oxidized (Ox) and machined (Ma) titanium surfaces, with and without LPS stimulation. Cells were cultured for 1 and 3 days and their conditioned media (CM) were collected. The osteogenic response of hMSCs to the monocyte CM was determined by analyzing the gene expression of key osteogenic markers. The CM from classically activated monocytes increased the hMSCs expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Furthermore, CM from monocytes cultured on Ox surface resulted in a modest increase of the expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). LPS stimulation of the surface-seeded monocytes overwhelmed the effect of the surface properties and resulted in significant upregulation of BMP-2 and Runx2 for all samples. The results show that human monocytes, cultured on different surfaces and/or under different activation pathways, communicate pro-osteogenic signals to hMSCs. The signals involve regulation of autologous BMP-2 in the hMSCs. The classical activation results in profound and prolonged osteogenic effect compared to the effect of the investigated surface properties.

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Immunology