HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged 
May 14, 2024 | News
The distinction between self and non-self entities by the immune system is more complex than it may initially appear
Essentially, the immune system's primary function is to differentiate between our own harmless molecules and potentially harmful foreign ones. This distinction is largely influenced by the degree of similarity a molecule bears to those the immune system is exposed to early in life. To assess this similarity, various techniques have been developed. These techniques aim to identify immune response molecules in pathogens, tumors, and autoimmune diseases, and are critical in designing effective vaccines. However, the effectiveness of these methods varies significantly.
Máté Manczinger and his research group have identified several factors that are either overlooked or insufficiently addressed in existing immunological studies. They discovered that the methods used to determine immunological similarity are quite diverse, leading to significant variations in results. Another key finding from their study is that the molecules recognized as unique to an individual by the immune system vary greatly and are heavily influenced by genetic diversity.
They proposed a personalized and standardized measure that incorporates a comprehensive understanding of current immunological research. This measure leverages the vast amount of data available and utilizes artificial intelligence to accurately determine molecular similarity to self molecules.
Their findings, published in the journal PNAS, offer insights that could enhance vaccine development and improve the understanding of infectious and autoimmune diseases.
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