Abstract
The purpose of this article is to introduce the non-immunologist to our current understanding of the immune system, a system whose primary purpose is to maintain the integrity of the individual. We develop a model of this system and discuss the events in this system that can be modulated. We discuss some of the biological and chemical agents that are capable of modulating an immune response, whether aberrant or normal. Investigators in immunology are primarily concerned with the mechanisms by which the immune system maintains the integrity of self and the consequences of a breakdown in the regulation of this host defense system. Many early investigators, trained as chemists but possessing a flair for biology, addressed themselves to structural studies of the antibody molecule, the first recognized end-product of the host defense mechanism. The specificity and the structure-function relationships of these unique proteins were the primary subjects of immunochemical research. Also studied was the chemical structure of the substances (antigens) which elicit antibody production. The early immunobiologist’s primary contribution was to determine how antibody molecules could best be induced to combat disease (immunization and vaccination). They also made use of the unique specificity of the antibody molecule to aid in the diagnosis of other pathological conditions.
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Wechter, W.J., Loughman, B.E. (1976). Where Is Immunology Taking Us?. In: Jucker, E. (eds) Progress in Drug Research/Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung/Progrés des recherches pharmaceutiques. Progress in Drug Research/Fortschritte der Arzneimittelforschung/Progrés des recherches pharmaceutiques, vol 20. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7094-8_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7094-8_17
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