http://www.medimmunol.com The latest research articles published by Medical Immunology 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z It has been 50 years since chronic granulomatous disease was first reported as a disease which fatally affected the ability of children to survive infections. Various milestone discoveries from the insufficient ability of patients' leucocytes to destroy microbial particles to the underlying genetic predispositions through which the disease is inherited have had important consequences. Longterm antibiotic prophylaxis has helped to fight infections associated with chronic granulomatous disease while the steady progress in bone marrow transplantation and the prospect of gene therapy are hailed as long awaited permanent treatment options. This review unearths the important findings by scientists that have led to our current understanding of the disease. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/5/1/4 Tracy Assari Medical Immunology 2006, null:4 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-5-4 /content/figures/1476-9433-5-4-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 4 2006-09-21T00:00:00Z XML The interleukin-2 molecule and receptor were the first of the interleukins to be discovered and characterized at the molecular level. Now after 20 years of effort, two groups have succeeded in determining the structure of IL2 bound to the external domains of the three receptor chains in a quaternary complex. What do we know now that we did not know before this structural information was available, and how do these new data help us to develop new therapies? http://www.medimmunol.com/content/5/1/3 Kendall Smith Medical Immunology 2006, null:3 2006-08-14T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-5-3 /content/figures/1476-9433-5-3-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 3 2006-08-14T00:00:00Z XML As pointed out in previous editorials, the development of an effective vaccine for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus capable of preventing infection, or even one capable of preventing the Acquired Immunodeficiency Disease Syndrome, has eluded investigators for the past 20 years. Now Reche and Keskin and their co-workers have provided evidence that an entirely new approach, based upon modern bioinformatics methods and skillful in vitro immunological experiments, may result in an effective way to prime the T cell immune response of normal individuals against conserved peptide epitopes. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/5/1/2 Kendall Smith Medical Immunology 2006, null:2 2006-05-18T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-5-2 /content/figures/1476-9433-5-2-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 2 2006-05-18T00:00:00Z XML Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) protect against viruses including HIV-1. To avoid viral escape mutants that thwart immunity, we chose 25 CTL epitopes defined in the context of natural infection with functional and/or structural constraints that maintain sequence conservation. By combining HLA binding predictions with knowledge concerning HLA allele frequencies, a metric estimating population protection coverage (PPC) was computed and epitope pools assembled. Strikingly, only a minority of immunocompetent HIV-1 infected individuals responds to pools with PPC >95%. In contrast, virus-naive individuals uniformly expand IFNγ producing cells and mount anti-HIV-1 cytolytic activity. This disparity suggests a vaccine design paradigm shift from infected to normal subjects. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/5/1/1 Pedro Reche Derin Keskin Rebecca Hussey Petronela Ancuta Dana Gabuzda Ellis Reinherz Medical Immunology 2006, null:1 2006-05-18T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-5-1 Healthy cytotoxic T lymphocytes respond to HIV-1 HIV-1 epitopes elicit a better response from cultured cytotoxic T cells of healthy individuals than from cells of infected individuals, offering new hope for vaccinating against AIDS prior to viral infection using HIV-1 epitopes. /content/figures/1476-9433-5-1-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 1 2006-05-18T00:00:00Z XML The latest developments in the HIV vaccine field were aired at a Keystone Symposium recently. This Commentary summarizes some of the highlights from this meeting, and focuses on some of the developments that appeared particularly promising, as well as those that do not. Unfortunately, the "saga" continues. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/4/1/6 Kendall Smith Medical Immunology 2005, null:6 2005-05-06T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-4-6 /content/figures/1476-9433-4-6-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 6 2005-05-06T00:00:00Z XML It has been more than 100 years since the realization that microbes are capable of causing disease. In that time, we have learned a great deal as to how each organism has adapted to the immune system so as to avoid elimination. As well, we have also learned an immense amount since Louis Pasteur first proposed that the solution to infectious diseases was to culture the microbes and attenuate their virulence, so as to use them as vaccines. From the optimism and promise of the 19th century and immunization as the ultimate answer to the invasion by the microbial world, to the scientific realities of the 21st century, it is of interest to retrace the steps of the earliest microbiologists cum immunologists, to realize how far we've come, as well as how far we yet have to go. This editorial focuses on the history of anthrax as a microbial disease, and the earliest efforts at producing a vaccine for its prevention. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/4/1/5 Kendall Smith Medical Immunology 2005, null:5 2005-04-18T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-4-5 /content/figures/1476-9433-4-5-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 5 2005-04-18T00:00:00Z XML The successful use of Bacillus anthracis as a lethal biological weapon has prompted renewed research interest in the development of more effective vaccines against anthrax. The disease consists of three critical components: spore, bacillus, and toxin, elimination of any of which confers at least partial protection against anthrax. Current remedies rely on postexposure antibiotics to eliminate bacilli and pre- and postexposure vaccination to target primarily toxins. Vaccines effective against toxin have been licensed for human use, but need improvement. Vaccines against bacilli have recently been developed by us and others. Whether effective vaccines will be developed against spores is still an open question. An ideal vaccine would confer simultaneous protection against spores, bacilli, and toxins. One step towards this goal is our dually active vaccine, designed to destroy both bacilli and toxin. Existing and potential strategies towards potent and effective anthrax vaccines are discussed in this review. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/4/1/4 Julia Wang Michael Roehrl Medical Immunology 2005, null:4 2005-03-24T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-4-4 /content/figures/1476-9433-4-4-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 4 2005-03-24T00:00:00Z XML Medical Immunology will be publishing invited Reviews and Commentaries from investigators who are at the forefront of their fields, to up-date our readers as to the current state of their art. These Reviews and Commentaries will be accompanied by Editorials that place the current work into the perspective of the first contribution in an area, which resulted in a "Classic" paper. Where possible, links will be provided to the original publication, so that the modern student of immunology can read the original and draw their own conclusions as to the value of the "Classic" contribution, and its relationship to our contemporary views as to how the immune system functions. To begin this process at the very dawn of immunology, we highlight Sir Edward Jenner's first descriptions of the use of cowpox to immunize individuals against the dread disease smallpox. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/4/1/3 Kendall Smith Medical Immunology 2005, null:3 2005-03-10T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-4-3 /content/figures/1476-9433-4-3-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 3 2005-03-10T00:00:00Z XML Eradication of the smallpox virus through extensive global vaccination efforts has resulted in one of the most important breakthroughs in medical history, saving countless lives from the severe morbidity and mortality that is associated with this disease. Although smallpox is now extinct in nature, laboratory stocks of this virus still remain and the subject of smallpox vaccination has gained renewed attention due to the potential risk that smallpox may be used as a biological weapon by terrorists or rogue states. Despite having the longest history of any modern vaccine, there is still much to be learned about smallpox vaccination and the correlates of protection remain to be formally defined. This Commentary will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of traditional smallpox vaccination in comparison with immunization using modified vaccinia virus Ankura (MVA), a non-replicating virus with a strong safety record but weakened immunogenicity. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/4/1/2 Mark Slifka Medical Immunology 2005, null:2 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-4-2 /content/figures/1476-9433-4-2-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 2 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z XML FADD (Fas Associated protein with Death Domain) is a key adaptor molecule transmitting the death signal mediated by death receptors. In addition, this multiple functional protein is implicated in survival/proliferation and cell cycle progression. FADD functions are regulated via cellular sublocalization, protein phosphorylation, and inhibitory molecules. In the present review, we focus on the role of the FADD adaptor in cancer. Increasing evidence shows that defects in FADD protein expression are associated with tumor progression both in mice and humans. Better knowledge of the mechanisms leading to regulation of FADD functions will improve understanding of tumor growth and the immune escape mechanisms, and could open a new field for therapeutic interventions. http://www.medimmunol.com/content/4/1/1 Lea Tourneur Agnes Buzyn Gilles Chiocchia Medical Immunology 2005, null:1 2005-02-17T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1476-9433-4-1 /content/figures/1476-9433-4-1-toc.gif Medical Immunology 1476-9433 ${item.volume} 1 2005-02-17T00:00:00Z XML