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Infectious diseases also known as contagious diseases, transmissible diseases or communicable diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that infect a host organism and can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one organism to another.
Compared with many other vaccines, current vaccines against influenza provide only limited protection. Here, the authors describe the challenges and recent attempts at generating T cell-based vaccines. It may be important to combine T cell-based vaccines with antibody-based vaccines to provide long-lasting immunity across influenza virus strains.
In this Review, the authors analyze evidence for autoimmunity against components of antimicrobial immunity, metaphorically represented by the mythical ouroboros snake eating its own tail.
An optimal immune response to influenza virus strikes a balance between protective antiviral immune mechanisms and detrimental immunopathology. Here, the authors review the immune mechanisms responsible for each side of this balance and how this may inform future vaccine design.