imunologii

Imunologie, translated as immunology in English, is the branch of biomedical science that studies the immune system, its development, regulation, and responses to pathogens, cancer, and foreign substances. The field seeks to understand how immunity protects the body and how dysregulation leads to disease.

The immune system has innate and adaptive branches. Innate immunity provides initial defense through physical barriers, phagocytic cells, natural killer cells, and the complement system. Adaptive immunity engages B cells and T cells to produce antibodies, mediate cellular responses, and remember previous encounters, enabling faster responses on re-exposure. Communication is driven by cytokines and chemokines.

Imunologie encompasses subfields such as vaccinology, transplantation immunology, allergy and clinical immunology, autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiencies, infectious diseases, and cancer immunology. Practical applications include vaccines, immunotherapies (for example, checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapy), diagnostics, and monitoring of immune status.

Research relies on methods such as serology, flow cytometry, ELISA, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, PCR and sequencing, and animal and cellular models to study immune mechanisms and test interventions.

Historical milestones include Jenner's vaccination work in the 18th century, Metchnikoff's discovery of phagocytosis, and Ehrlich's contributions to humoral immunity; the 20th century saw the consolidation of innate and adaptive immunity as core concepts.

Education in imunologie typically occurs within medicine, biology, or biomedical sciences, leading to careers in academia, clinical laboratories, vaccine development, biotechnology, and healthcare.