Systems immunology

Systems immunology is a recent research field that, under the larger umbrella of systems biology, aims to study the immune system in the more integrated perspective on how entities and players participate at different system levels to the immune function. This approach has rejuvenated the field of vaccine development and has fostered hope that new ways will be found to combat infectious diseases that have proven refractory to classical approaches. Systems immunology also presents an important new strategy for understanding human immunity directly, taking advantage of the many ways the immune system of humans can be manipulated. Every time an antigen, whether natural (pathogen) or recombinant (vaccine), encounters the immune system it leaves behind a molecular imprint that encodes valuable information. This antigenic fingerprint is encoded within the immune response, more specifically in the genetic and molecular identities – the antibody and T cell receptor repertoires.

Therefore to truly understand and exploit the immune system’s capability for providing pathogenic defense requires moving beyond simple rudimentary measurements, in other words transitioning from analog to digital analysis of immune responses.