Challenges
In Immunology
Introduction to immunology
•
Branch of science that deals with the body’s resistance to
infection
Or
•
Deals with the altered reactivity of body to infection
•
Immunity means the body’s ability to resist infection
•
Immune system consists of cells and molecules responsible for
the immunity
Major achievements in the field of
immunology
•
Eradication and vaccination against small pox by Edward
Jenner
•
Attenuated vaccine for anthrax and swine erysipelas by louis
Pasteur
•
Anti rabies vaccine by Louis Pasteur
•
Delayed type of hypersensitivity
•
Monoclonal antibodies by George Koehler and Caesar Milstein
What are the challenges?
1.
Vaccine development
2.
Cytokines and antibodies
3.
Allergy
4.
Immunodeficiency diseases
5.
Cellular immunotherapy
6.
Autoimmune diseases
1.
Vaccine Development
Ø Vaccine containing
components to prevent from 3-6 pathogens
o Researchers are working to
reduce the number of injection by employing a combination of vaccines. Several
current vaccines contain component from 3-6 pathogens in a single injection.
This reduces the cost and increases the availability to people.
Ø Stable and durable
vaccines
o By improving the half
lives of vaccines maintaining its immunogenicity especially those involved in
the transportation of vaccines to remote areas.
Ø Vaccines conferring
protections against all serotypes of pathogens
o This outcome is important
for those pathogens with high variability. Researchers are designing vaccines
that ca protect against several variants by using common regions that can
provide protective immune response to all or most of the variants.
Ø Immune tolerance developed
to elements delivered by oral route
o Researchers are developing
alternative routes of administration( oral, inhaled, intranasal, skin, vagina,
rectum) as substitutes for IM or SC injection. One of the problems to be solved
is the immune tolerance developed to elements delivered by the oral route, but
some vaccines are already effectively administered by this route (such as the
oral polio, cholera, typhoid fever and rotavirus vaccines)
Ø Reliable and effective
vaccines for viral diseases
o It is very important for
prevalent pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HIV virus or Plasmodium
falciparum Because most of the disease are not Curable like HIV virus.
Ø Develop a vaccine in short
period of time in emerging pandemics
o New technologies for
vaccine formulations and routes of administration, the identification of
immune-related factors of protection and modifications to the governmental
regulatory and approval process for vaccines for emerging pathogens are
challenges that must be faced to achieve a rapid vaccination procedure for
outbreaks.
Ø Anti-vaccine movement
o Advances are challenged by
the anti-vaccine movement. Paradoxically, there are people who doubt the
beneficial effects of vaccines, and they are putting the health of their own
children and society in general at risk. The effectiveness of community
protection conferred through vaccinated people is disrupted by decreased
numbers of immunized persons.
2.
Cytokines and antibodies
Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies which has the use of
certain cytokines and recombinant fusion protein has been true revolution for
many pathogens. Main problems regarding the use of antibodies in therapy
especially in cancer are:
Ø Unpredictable efficiency
o There is large variability
in terms of remission and durable clinical benefits between patients.
Ø Validated biomarkers
o It is difficult to find
validated biomarkers to select patient for the best immunotherapy.
Ø Tumor heterogeneity
Ø Resistance to some
drugs
Ø Immunosuppressive
microenvironment
Ø Toxicity
3.
Allergies
Result of over- aggressive immune
responses
4.
Immunodeficiency diseases
There are two types of immune deficiency diseases: primary or
inherited and secondary or passive.
|
Primary or inherited |
Secondary or acquired |
|
Causes |
|
|
•
inherited
conditions arising from mutation, polymorphism & polygenic defects •
Defects
of chromosomal origin such as translocation |
• Infectious agent retrovirus etc. • Cytotoxic drugs used for treating malignancy • Failure of passive immunity in new born
animals • Immunosuppressive drugs used
therapeutically |
5.
Cellular immunotherapy
Ø High production cost
Ø Contraindications in
autoimmune diseases, allergies and infectious diseases
Ø Life threatening toxicity of
induced and lack of effect on solid tumors
6.
Autoimmune diseases
Ø Arise when the immune
system attack normal components of body
Ø Failure to distinguish
self from non self
Ø More than 100 autoimmune
disease identified
Ø 3-5% of population have
been infected
Ø Type 1 diabetes,
rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and inflammatory bowel
disease
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