Immunomodulation and Vaccines

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Human beings evolved in the presence of exposure to many infectious diseases, including viruses, bacteria and worms. Our immune systems evolved to protect us from these agents. However, some of them have develop strategies to evade or regulate the human immune response in such a way that they can live in their human hosts for decades, or for life. These include some parasites (worms, malaria) the bacteria that live in our gut and on our skin, and some viruses. In populations where infectious diseases have become uncommon it is likely that our immune systems develop differently compared to populations where infections are still common. This may have both benefits and disadvantages. We are investigating the hypothesis that exposure to infections, and especially chronic parasitic infections, alters 1. Responses to vaccines – generally in an adverse way, reducing desired, protective vaccine responses2. Responses to viruses which cause cancer – also reducing beneficial immune responses that control them3. Susceptibility to asthma and allergy4. Susceptibility to diabetesWe think that treating parasitic infections effectively may improve the response to vaccines and other infections, but increase the risk of allergy-related diseases and diabetes. Our studies are designed to find out whether this is so.