The immune system is a complex system where different cell types interact with each other and with a multitude of other cell types in different parts of the body. While the characterization of the constitutive parts of the immune system is essential for a basic understanding of specific biological mechanisms, it often provides only an incomplete view of how the immune system works and how it can be manipulated. Systems biology allows us to look at complex systems from a holistic perspective, studying how the different parts interact to determine the overall behavior. When applied to immunology, systems approaches allow shifting from the more traditional study of individual parts, such as specific mechanisms or cell types, to a more global and integrative understanding of the immune system as a whole. This shift is now possible thanks to recent advances in high-throughput technology, which makes it feasible to measure (epi)genome, transcriptome, proteome, functional state, and products (e.g. cytokines) of different cell types at the same time.
By combining these new technologies with computational approaches to integrate large datasets of multiple -omics and clinical data, and with mathematical models to study complex systems, systems immunology allows gaining important insights on different diseases where the immune system is involved, such as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and infectious diseases. Improvements in the field of systems immunology are urgently needed and require the involvement of researchers with different expertise such as immunologists, clinicians, statisticians, bioinformaticians, computational biologists, and bioengineers.
In this Research Topic we welcome the submission of Original Research articles, Methods, Reviews, and Perspective articles related to the following sub-topics:
- New technologies to study the immune system and its interaction with other cell types;
- Statistical approaches for data integration in the context of systems immunology;
- Molecular and cellular signatures associated with protection and immunogenicity in different diseases and therapies;
- Mathematical models to study the interaction of different immune molecules and/or cell types;
- New insights into how the immune system is regulated and how it interacts with the surroundings.
The immune system is a complex system where different cell types interact with each other and with a multitude of other cell types in different parts of the body. While the characterization of the constitutive parts of the immune system is essential for a basic understanding of specific biological mechanisms, it often provides only an incomplete view of how the immune system works and how it can be manipulated. Systems biology allows us to look at complex systems from a holistic perspective, studying how the different parts interact to determine the overall behavior. When applied to immunology, systems approaches allow shifting from the more traditional study of individual parts, such as specific mechanisms or cell types, to a more global and integrative understanding of the immune system as a whole. This shift is now possible thanks to recent advances in high-throughput technology, which makes it feasible to measure (epi)genome, transcriptome, proteome, functional state, and products (e.g. cytokines) of different cell types at the same time.
By combining these new technologies with computational approaches to integrate large datasets of multiple -omics and clinical data, and with mathematical models to study complex systems, systems immunology allows gaining important insights on different diseases where the immune system is involved, such as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and infectious diseases. Improvements in the field of systems immunology are urgently needed and require the involvement of researchers with different expertise such as immunologists, clinicians, statisticians, bioinformaticians, computational biologists, and bioengineers.
In this Research Topic we welcome the submission of Original Research articles, Methods, Reviews, and Perspective articles related to the following sub-topics:
- New technologies to study the immune system and its interaction with other cell types;
- Statistical approaches for data integration in the context of systems immunology;
- Molecular and cellular signatures associated with protection and immunogenicity in different diseases and therapies;
- Mathematical models to study the interaction of different immune molecules and/or cell types;
- New insights into how the immune system is regulated and how it interacts with the surroundings.
