Immunology Molecular

Immunology (from the Latin immunitas - liberation from something) is a science that studies the body's defense reactions aimed at maintaining its health and well-being. It involves the study of the immune system, which is made up of many cells and molecules that interact with each other to provide protection against external threats.

Molecular immunology is a branch of immunology that studies the molecular mechanisms underlying the body's immune response. These mechanisms include interactions between immune cells and antigens, as well as various mechanisms such as antigen recognition, lymphocyte activation, and antibody production.

An important aspect of molecular immunology is the study of the interactions between the immune system and other body systems, such as the endocrine, nervous and circulatory systems. This allows us to better understand how the immune system works in general and how it can be compromised in various diseases.

One example of the molecular mechanisms of the immune response is the recognition of antigens. An antigen is a foreign agent that can trigger an immune response. Cells of the immune system recognize antigens thanks to special molecules called antigen receptors. These receptors bind to the antigen and activate cells of the immune system, leading to the production of antibodies and other immune cells.

Another important mechanism of the immune response is cytokines - these are small proteins that regulate the activity of cells of the immune system. Cytokines can play a role in both activation and suppression of the immune response, making them an important regulator of immune homeostasis.

In addition, molecular immunology also studies the mechanisms of regulation of the immune response at the gene level. Genes play an important role in determining which cells will be activated and which molecules will be produced in response to an antigen.

Despite the complexity and versatility of the human immune system, the studied science of immunology still remains very little studied, and in the 21st century, scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about the functions of immune cells and the mechanisms of their interaction with each other.

Modern immunological science no longer denies many mythical ideas formed even before the start of research on the immune system, for example, about the inability of the immune system to remember its “offenders” or the inability to remember the body’s own cells, as well as the opinion that the immune system does not have consciousness or self-understanding and reflection in general.

First we need to look at why the immune system is considered a conscious system. To do this, one should consider the physiological aspects of the functioning of the immune system, such as the alternation of periods of activity of some lymphoid organs with periods of rest (this applies to mature lymphocytes). In addition, immunological systems are not in themselves completely uncontrolled; on the contrary, they take part in the internal processes of the constancy of the internal environment of the body, which control and maintain in a certain state and with a certain intensity the physical, chemical and biological properties of the internal environment. This same property (the ability to participate in the processes of maintaining homeostasis in the body) is called the property of adaptation (in other words, the ability to adapt to changing conditions from the external environment). If we talk about physiology, the ability to maintain a constant internal environment is called homeoresis (from the Greek homoios - similar, similar; rezis - mixture), and the ability to change one’s activity and influence indicators such as the chemical composition and physical properties of the internal environment is called hormonal . Another example of the adaptive properties of the immune system is the diversity of cellular receptors for various epitopes, a key site of any pathogens and atypical altered cells of the body. In fact, it is thanks to cellular receptors that one can identify an aggressive agent and begin to actively resist it, triggering the production of immunoglobulins of the appropriate type. Against the background of such a discussion, let us consider the question: do immune cells always have the ability to respond only to external stimuli or foreign factors, whether they must be independently initiated in order to start recognizing a pathogenic agent when symptoms of the disease appear and releasing specific antibodies. This dilemma is resolved in favor of the development of immunity after pathogens enter the body, so-called innate immunity. Innate immunity works “on the principle of a phagocyte cell,” which is capable of receiving signals about the appearance of a potentially dangerous agent and, in response to this, intensifying the work, production and release of inflammatory mediators (substances that activate the work of other components of the immune system during the inflammatory process). No exception is the specific activity of specific anti-inflammatory cells, which can come into contact with damaged tissue if the agent really poses a potential threat: if we are dealing with thermal