SCOPE OF

IMMUNOLOGY

Sulove Koirala
sulovekoirala@outlook.com
Agiculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Sulove Koirala

Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

SCOPE OF IMMUNOLOGY
Immunology is a very important branch of the medical and biological
sciences. Many diseases in humans and animals are caused by infections and
disorders of the immune system. Understanding Immunology is, therefore,
key to developing treatments to help manage and reduce the debilitating
effects disease brings. Immunology also helps in diagnosing disease, by
providing the basic tools for identifying aberrant changes in the body.
Vaccination and global welfare
Our understanding of the immune system and how it works has improved
remarkably over recent decades. International efforts to eradicate disease,
through collaboration and exchange of information, have enabled exciting
breakthroughs to occur. Several infectious diseases including smallpox,
measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, tuberculosis
and polio are no longer a threat in many developed country. This is due to
the successful development and application of medicinal preparations known
as vaccines.
Vaccines
A vaccine is a substance that teaches the body to recognize and defend itself
against infections caused by dangerous microbes or 'pathogens' such as
bacteria, viruses and parasites. Vaccines provide a sneak 'preview' of a
specific pathogen, which stimulates the body's immune system to prepare
itself in the event that infection occurs.
Global eradication of disease
Disease eradication is currently defined as the extinction of a particular
pathogen in the population. This does not necessarily refer also to its
elimination in the environment. Therefore, it is vital that control measures
like vaccination still continue. Smallpox and Rinderpest is currently the
only infectious disease that has been completely eradicated as a result of a
global vaccination programme. Polio is the only other disease that is close to
being eliminated due to vaccination efforts. Polio is reported to be
widespread in only four countries in the world: Nigeria, India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan.
Potential complications arising from the vaccine itself, since the viral
component of the vaccine can mutate after excretion into a more virulent
form capable of infecting people once more.

Sulove Koirala

Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Meeting emerging and ongoing healthcare challenges

Immunology is a dynamic discipline. Immunologists are constantly pushed to

discover ways of defending the public against new and ongoing healthcare
challenges.
Avian influenza
Avian influenza or 'bird flu' presents a worrying disease scenario for both
humans and animals. The current threat to humans presented by this
infectious and largely fatal disease of birds, comes from a strain of the
Influenza A virus, known as H5N1, which infects poultry and other animals.
In 2003, the H5N1 virus changed into a new strain capable of infecting
humans from animals, but not able to pass between humans. Over half of the
people infected died (about 100 dead in total); and the disease has spread to
a number of countries in Asia and Europe. Public health officials are
concerned that it could develop into a pandemic that affects the globe.
The main challenge for Immunology is to develop a vaccine against the
pandemic version of the virus - which itself has yet to emerge. It is a gamble
as the current production of Influenza A (H5) vaccine, is based on the hope
that the pandemic flu virus resembles H5N1.
A further hurdle to overcome relates to the actual production of the vaccine,
which is usually made using chicken egg embryos. The virus H5N1 is so
virulent that it kills the eggs in which it is grown, which slows down the
production rate.
HIV/AIDS
The mechanism by which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; the virus that
causes AIDS) evades the immune system is far from being completely
elucidated. HIV poses a unique challenge for Immunology, which is currently
unable to keep up with HIV's profound ability to change its structure and
protective coating, which it uses to help mask itself from any antibodies
produced by the immune system).
Immunology is crucial to developing an understanding of how AIDS evolves,
but it is also vital to help find an effective remedy for it. Many drugs have

Sulove Koirala

Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

been developed to block HIV's ability to reproduce.

The biggest challenge facing immunologists is developing a vaccine that can
help the immune system recognize the different strains of HIV.

Allergy and asthma

Allergies are hypersensitivity disorders that occur when the body's immune
system reacts against foreign substances that are actually harmless. This
immune response causes damage to the body's own tissues. The most
common types of allergies arise after eating certain types of food, such as
shellfish, peanuts or eggs, or from inhaling airborne substances, such as
pollen, or dust.
Immunology strives to understand what happens to the body during an
allergic response and the factors responsible for causing them. This should
lead to better methods of diagnosing, preventing and controlling allergic
diseases. Researchers are currently looking into the possibility of developing
vaccines against most forms of allergies. For example, by identifying the
proteins in pollen or peanuts that are responsible for causing hay fever or
peanut allergy, and converting them into harmless forms; scientists hope
vaccines can be produced and used to dampen down the immune system's
response to these allergens.
Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system attacks the body it is
meant to protect. People suffering from autoimmune diseases have a defect
that makes them unable to distinguish 'self' from 'foreign' molecules.
The principles of Immunology have provided a wide range of laboratory tests
for the detection of autoimmune diseases.
Improving transplant outcomes

Organ transplants are one of the most miraculous achievements of modern

medicine. They provide the best possible treatment for people with organ
failure.

Sulove Koirala

Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

Unfortunately, due to the normal functions of the immune system, the

recipient's body often rejects any transplanted cells, tissues and organs (also
known as organ or tissue grafts). This presents a key barrier for achieving a
successful organ transplantation outcome.
Advances in transplantation immunology have led to the development of
drugs capable of suppressing the immune response that causes a transplant
to be rejected. However, although these drugs permit excellent short-term
survival of the graft they do not provide any significant long-term survival.
Furthermore, these immunosuppressant drugs are so powerful that they can
prevent the immune system from generally protecting the body from
infections and cancer.
Transplant immunological research is currently trying to develop ways of
helping the immune system tolerate transplants without preventing the
immune system from doing its main job of protecting the body from invading
pathogens. Research has also found that some patients have a lower risk of
rejecting transplants than others. Therefore, developing the means to
identify these two groups remains a high priority.
Improving animal health

Veterinary immunology is a branch of Immunology dedicated to improving

animal health. Only a small number of immunologists work in this field.
However, the number of species and challenges faced are huge
The health of domestic animals is a particular concern for pet owners who
enjoy the companionship having a pet brings. Although many bacterial
diseases in animals can be treated with antibiotics, prevention is considered
to be a better approach. The field of veterinary vaccinology is rapidly
expanding, there being big public health, political and economic incentives to
immunize animals against disease.
Immunology and biotechnology
Biotechnology is a term used to describe any technique that uses living
organisms (or parts of a living organism) to make products used in
agriculture, food science and medicine. Immuno-technology is a term used to
describe the branch of biotechnology concerned with the production of
immunological agents in living organisms. Advances in immune-technology
have made it possible to produce immunological agents that protect people
and animals against many types of diseases. Many organisms have been
designed specifically to produce antibiotics or vaccines. Also, chicken
embryos are commonly used in the production of vaccines.

Sulove Koirala

Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal

A new approach, hailed as 'the third vaccine revolution' uses what are called
'DNA vaccines' as a basis for protecting against infection. The technique
involves introducing a specific part of DNA from a pathogen into a living host.
The cells of the host then make proteins normally produced by the invading
pathogen, which leads to an immune response that would protect the
individual against possible infection if exposed to the real pathogen. Other
advances within this field include the application of genetic engineering to
produce edible vaccines. The genetic material of plants is altered to enable
them to synthesize vaccines in the edible part of a food plant, i.e. fruit. This
is particularly beneficial to countries lacking adequate storage facilities or
staff to administer vaccines to its public.