Immune system via pathogen-derived antigens

The term Immune system via pathogen-derived antigens refers to a broad therapeutic strategy rather than a single molecular target. This approach involves the introduction of specific components of a pathogen—such as proteins, polysaccharides, or nucleic acids—to stimulate a host's immune system to develop protective immunity (Janeway et al., 2001). The process begins with the recognition of these antigens by the innate immune system, followed by their processing and presentation by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules to T-lymphocytes (Abbas et al., 2018). This interaction triggers the expansion of antigen-specific B-cells and T-cells, resulting in the production of antibodies and the establishment of long-term immunological memory (Pollard & Bijker, 2021). While this mechanism is the foundation of vaccinology and certain immunotherapies, it encompasses a complex network of cellular and molecular interactions across the entire immune system. Consequently, it does not represent a discrete protein, enzyme, or receptor target in the traditional pharmacological sense (CDC, 2023).

Other names

Vaccine-induced immunityAntigen-specific immune activationPathogen-derived antigen recognitionActive immunization

Induction of adaptive immune responses through the presentation of pathogen-derived antigens by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to T-cells and B-cells, leading to the production of neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity (Pollard & Bijker, 2021).