On the cross-fertilization between biotechnology and immunology: current situation in Cuba

Biotechnology has created opportunities for new therapeutic products. More than half of biotechnological products being developed intend some manipulation of the immune system. Vaccines are 29% of the worldwide biotechnology pipeline and more than 50% of Cuban biotechnology pipeline. Current understanding of antigen presentation and the maturation of dendritic cells has opened the way for a more rational design of new adjuvants, intended not only to deliver the antigen to antigen presenting cells (APC) and to induce APC maturation, but also to direct lymphocyte differentiation towards either Th1 or Th2 phenotypes, and to deal with disease-induced immunodepression. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are a field in which new adjuvants and new immunization schedules will be tested. This knowledge will be pertinent for other vaccines, so fertilizing biotechnology with the indication of the new molecules that need to be manufactured.