Defences Under Attack: the Potential Misuse of Immunology

The immune system plays a crucial role in protecting against infectious diseases. This is clearly demonstrated in the case of individuals with genetic defects in certain immune mechanisms, which frequently result in a devastating outcome, despite the use of antibiotics or other chemotherapeutic agents. Furthermore, some microorganisms can escape immune defences by using strategies that subvert immune mechanisms. These strategies represent factors that contribute critically to the pathogenicity of the microorganism, or its ability to cause disease. Indeed, the pathogenicity of a microorganism can only rightly be defined within the scope of its interaction with the immune system.