Immunological recognition and effector mechanisms in infectious diseases

In recent years it has become clear that several specialized cell types are involved in the induction of the immune response. The way the antigen is presented to the different cell types may be important in deciding for instance, if a homograft will be rejected or tolerated, or if another antigen will preferentially stimulate antibody or a cell-mediated immune response. Different types of immune response may be desirable or harmful during the course of different infectious diseases. The knowledge of how recognition and effector mechanisms operate in different conditions may help in the production of more effective vaccines. In this article the present knowledge of both antibody and cell-mediated responses is reviewed and recommendations are made for further research.