The immunology of new generation vaccines

In the next decade immunoprophylaxis through vaccination will undergo new developments and further implementation. There is growing interest in new physical forms of immunogens for use in vaccines: the effectiveness of these immunogens will depend upon the optimization of their immunogenic properties. In this article, Maurizio Zanetti and his colleagues discuss some of the guiding principles of 'vaccinology', and the use of new technology in vaccine production, in relation to the immunological requirements for effective vaccines.