In This Issue—Engineering the Immune System to Fight Cancer and Infections

Abstract

As the immune system essentially evolved to fight off or keep at bay life-threatening infectious agents rather than cancer, the question remains as to how to best redeploy it for the treatment of a broader range of diseases. This is reflected by an unprecedented diversification of platform technologies in development, facilitated by rapid progress in biotechnology. In this issue, we host several contributions outlining major efforts in developing novel immune interventions spanning antigen-specific vaccination, non-antigen-targeted immune intervention, genetically engineered lymphocytes, and ultraspecific antigen-targeted ligands. In addition, the journal is hosting in this issue, two reviews discussing the complex matter and dynamic balance between immunity and viral infections, as the concept of fine modulation of that balance still carries the promise of yielding novel therapies.