Infections and Immunity

Infections and immunity are all about how our body handles harmful pathogens like bacteria and viruses and protects us from getting sick. When a pathogen enters our body, our immune system, acting like an army of tiny defenders, springs into action to fight it off. These defenders include special immune cells and proteins that recognise and destroy the invaders before they can cause serious illness. Sometimes, though, the immune system can become confused and attack our own healthy cells by mistake, leading to problems known as autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, when someone receives a transplant, their immune system might mistakenly see the new organ as a foreign invader and try to reject it, which is another critical area of research.

 Researchers at CIRTM study these processes to understand how to boost our immune defenses and treat conditions where the immune system doesn't function correctly. This knowledge aids in developing diagnostic biomarkers, creating vaccines to protect against infectious diseases, and finding better treatments for infections, autoimmune disorders, and transplant rejection.

Academics working in Infections and Immunity research theme:

• Dr Jacqueline Cliff
• Dr Steven Smith
• Dr Cristiano Scottà
• Dr Enrique Castro-Sanchez