New technologies for identifying individual immune cells help scientists determine which cells trigger an immune response under various circumstances. Improvements in microscopy also allow for observations of living immune cells as they interact within lymph nodes and other body tissues.
In addition, scientists are rapidly unraveling the genetic blueprints that direct the human immune response, as well as those that dictate the biology of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The combination of new technology and expanded genetic information promises to reveal more about how the body protects itself from disease. In turn, scientists can use this information to develop new strategies for the prevention and treatment of infectious and immune-mediated diseases.