Science and Society

Immune biomarkers are increasingly being used to inform clinical interventions. In this Science and Society article, the authors discuss the progress that has been made in identifying and applying immune biomarkers in different disease settings. The authors also consider the major challenges facing the field.

What is the role and value of consortium biology in immunology? Here, the participants of the Immunological Genome Project share their thoughts on the benefits and shortcomings of 'big science' and discuss how the immunology community can profit from engaging in this type of discovery-led research.

Vaccines have been highly successful in protecting us from infectious disease and there is now much interest in the use of vaccination to tackle other health issues. This article discusses the feasibility, as well as the ethical implications, of vaccinating patients against drugs of abuse.

The childhood vaccination campaigns of the twentieth century represent one of the great success stories of modern medicine. But are we yet to realize the full potential of vaccines? This article discusses the medical needs of the twenty-first century society and proposes that new vaccines will play a major part in addressing these needs.

Have you ever wondered about the underlying mechanism of why you become lethargic when you have an infection, and why you are more susceptible to infection during times of stressful life circumstances? Here, the reciprocal interactions between behaviour and innate immunity to optimize total organism fitness are discussed.

These authors put forward their view that the information obtained from experimental human malaria infections justifies the minimal potential risks in well-designed trials and will be essential to the development of an effective malaria vaccine.

This Science and Society article proposes that it is time to re-assess whether induced pluripotency will ever provide a fully autologous source of tissues for transplantation without the need for immune modulation.

Children who grow up on traditional farms are protected from developing asthma and allergy. But what are the exact exposures that mediate this protective farm effect, what is the important time period in which these exposures are effective and how do these exposures affect the immune system?

Here, John Isaacs describes the societal implications of rheumatoid arthritis and how diagnosis and treatment approaches have evolved. He also discusses the future approaches needed for the complete management of this disease.

The identification of biomarkers of transplantation tolerance holds promise to improve the care of transplant recipients and advance our understanding of alloreactive immune responses. What progress has been made towards reaching this goal and what challenges remain?

The devastating impact of smoking on health is well known. Here the authors warn of the complex and multiple adverse effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system, which increase susceptibility to respiratory infections, lung pathologies and cancer.

In the light of the introduction of conjugate vaccines againstHaemophilus influenzaetype B and group C meningococcal and pneumococcal diseases over the past two decades, this Science & Society article discusses the ways in which long-term protection against these encapsulated bacteria might best be maintained at a population level.

As a result of advances in medicine, public-health policies and socioeconomic development, we are living longer than ever before. Here, the authors describe how ageing affects immune function and discuss the potential of different therapies to slow or reverse this process in the elderly population.

Immunotherapy for cancer sometimes has autoimmune complications, and immunotherapy for autoimmunity can compromise microbial defence and immunosurveillance. In this article, Rachel Caspi explores the potential penalties of successful immunotherapeutic approaches and highlights the need for more specific modalities.

Sex-based differences in immune responses can influence the susceptibility to autoimmune and infectious diseases and the efficacy of therapeutic drugs. In this Perspective, Eleanor Fish discusses factors, such as X-linked genes, hormones and societal context, that underlie disparate immune responses in men and women.

In this Perspective article, Michael Starnbach and Nadia Roan discuss the public-health and social impact of sexually transmitted diseases, raising several questions that need to be addressed before these diseases can be conquered.

There has been an enormous increase in the prevalence of asthma and allergy in the Western world over the past four decades. Marked changes in our diet might be a contributing factor, so could dietary intervention in pregnant women be a preventive measure?

Dental caries is caused by a bacterial infection that is prevalent worldwide. This article discusses the scientific evidence that vaccination could prevent the spread of this disease, and it puts forward the argument, in terms of public health, for the development of such a vaccine.