Immunology: improving on nature in the twenty-first century

Article Abstract:

The evolution of immunology as a scientific discipline is reviewed with discussion of the future of the field. The manipulation of the adaptive immune response to overcome many human diseases may be used to advantage in the future. Drugs cannot exploit the specificity of adaptive immunity. The study of the immune system has led to discovery of principles with broad implications for diverse biological processes, some of which are discussed. The field is ripe for taking basic research to clinical applications. Topics include the basis for specificity and memory in adaptive immune responses, initiation of immune responses from the perspective of lymphocytes, innate immunity, effector mechanisms.

United States, Forecasts and trends, Physiological aspects, Immunology, Immunity, Immunity (Physiology), Vaccines, Major histocompatibility complex, Cell differentiation, Immunocytochemistry, Cell interaction, T cells, Cell interactions

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The role of Fas in autoimmune diabetes

Article Abstract:

Molecular biological techniques were used to study the role of ectopically expressed FasL in the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in transgenic nonobese diabetic strain of mice which was used as the disease model for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The results indicated that some animals expressing Fasl in pancreatic islets showed higher rates of developing spontaneous diabetes while all transgenic mice exhibited greater sensitivity to diabetogenic T cells. The latter event is thought to be due to self-destruction of beta cells upon T cell-mediated induction of Fas.

Analysis, Usage, Flow cytometry, Polymerase chain reaction, Type 1 diabetes, Laboratory animals, Molecular biology, Ligands (Biochemistry), Immune response, Molecular genetics, Immunohistochemistry

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Die and let live: eliminating dangerous lymphocytes

Article Abstract:

Immunologists have repeatedly observed that the cells in the eyes and testis are not prone to attack by the body's own immune system. The immune system controls the activity of lymphocytes which have gained self immunity by destroying these lymphocytes. The death of potentially harmful T cells is mediated by the receptor protein Fas and the FasL ligand which is expressed only in tissues of the testis and the eyes. Immunologists are working on transferring the capability of expressing FasL on other types of tissues to combat self-immune diseases.

Autoimmunity, Lymphocytes

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