Immunology and Vaccinology - a short review

Abstract

Vaccines are used to stimulate an immune response to a specific infectious disease or pathogen. They contain an inactive or weakened pathogen, or its parts, causing our immune system to react and remember the encounter with its antigens. After vaccination, the immune system produces antibodies that destroy the pathogen while preventing the infection. Since the production of the first successful vaccine in 1796 until today, dozens of different types of vaccines have been produced. With the development of biotechnology, we have gone from empirically made vaccines to those that use only a small molecule of mRNA for the defense against pathogens. Nowadays, vaccines are not only used as protection, but also to treat diseases, such as cancer, addiction, or allergies. This review aims to inform a broad scientific audience about basic immunological concepts, more specifically, the immune system and its response, vaccines, and related challenges.