Vorobyev AA
I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, Moscow, Russia
Russ. J. Immunol. 1999, October 15, 4 (3), 264-267.
The main purpose of immunology in the field of infectious pathology is to artificially create collective insusceptibility of people to pathogens of infectious diseases. As immunology, knowledge of humoral and cellular mechanisms of protection, conditions affecting the effectiveness of the functioning and control of the immune system when exogenous and endogenous antigen substances act thereon developed, vaccinology and then immunobiotechnology also developed, i.e. those branches of immunology which are occupied with the development of measures and methods for specific prophylaxis of infectious and non-infectious diseases, methods of constructing and producing immunobiological preparations, their practical use in the prophylaxis and treatment of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Vaccinoprophylaxis is one of the most effective and economical methods for protection against infectious diseases. It should especially be underlined that only vaccinoprophylaxis makes it possible to completely liquidate an infectious disease as a nosologic unit. Unfortunately, this only relates to the so-called controllable infections, against which effective vaccines have already been developed. Vaccines have not been developed at all against many widespread infectious diseases, whose prevention can’t be made by epidemiological measures. Therefore, in the next few years immunology should, on the basis of fundamental research into the mechanisms of anti-infectious immunity, find new principles of creating and using immunogenic vaccines (and these principles have already been mapped out and were mentioned above), solve the problem of reducing and liquidating in the first place emerging infectious diseases and those among them which bring uncountable harm and suffering to mankind, cause economical losses, and have an effect on the genetic structure of the human population as a whole.