Publications

Abstract

The challenge of developing next generation vaccines against some of the most burdensome diseases—both infectious and inflammatory, will require an injection of basic knowledge as well as scientific innovation. As highlighted in this collection of expert reviews, the innate immune response is a critical stepping-stone between vaccination and the development of effective adaptive immunity, triggering and shaping the ensuing cellular and humoral responses that will ultimately control the disease. An enhanced understanding of how innate immunity develops in different disease states will help inform the design and formulation of new vaccine components. Conversely, an increased understanding of the mechanism of action of novel adjuvants will aid in their rational selection for different diseases and delivery platforms. In this Special Feature of Clinical and Translational Immunology, we present a number of papers that jointly highlight the interplay between innate immune responses and the resulting functional vaccine responses.