The immune system is the body’s complex defence system, which protects the body against pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. It also regulates tissue repair, eliminates harmful mutations that cause cancer and maintains the body’s internal balance.
Dysfunctions of the immune system are associated with almost all diseases. In autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes), the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. In allergic conditions (asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergies), the immune response is directed against harmless environmental substances. In chronic inflammatory diseases, which include inflammatory bowel diseases, prolonged inflammation damages tissues. Cancer, on the other hand, is a disease in which tumours are able to evade and deceive the immune system, thereby allowing the cancer to grow and develop.
Neuroimmunology (e.g. multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease), immunological research into cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis and post-myocardial infarction inflammation), immuno-oncology and metabolic immunology (e.g type 2 diabetes and obesity) are all rapidly growing fields of research. Immunology is no longer a narrow specialism, but a cross-disciplinary field.
The prevalence of immune-mediated diseases has increased significantly in recent decades, particularly in industrialised countries. It is estimated that 5–8 per cent of the population suffers from autoimmune diseases alone, and the prevalence of allergic diseases has multiplied. In addition to causing human suffering, these diseases place a significant economic burden on healthcare systems.
Basic research in immunology has advanced dramatically over the last 20–30 years. A better understanding of the mechanisms of innate immunity, the regulation of T-cell differentiation, and the mapping of cytokine networks has opened up entirely new perspectives on the underlying mechanisms of these diseases.
Technological advances, such as single-cell technologies, CRISPR gene-editing technology and advanced imaging methods, have also made it possible to study the functioning of the immune system with unprecedented precision. These technologies reveal the diversity and function of immune cells at the single-cell level.
A distinctive feature of immunology is that findings from basic research have been translated into clinical use with exceptional speed. In particular, cancer immunotherapy, biologics, mRNA vaccines and cell therapies have already saved lives and improved the quality of life for millions of people. In the future, the importance of immunology will only grow as we gain a better understanding of the individual immune response and are able to develop increasingly precise and effective treatments.