Antibody-mediated immune regulation: Idiotypic networks in protection and pathogenesis

Humoral immunity is fundamental to host defense and underpins the success of vaccination. Beyond their classical role in pathogen neutralization, antibodies also regulate immune responses through Fc-mediated effector functions, idiotype–anti-idiotype networks, and cross-reactivity with self-antigens. These mechanisms can help maintain immune homeostasis but may also contribute to chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. Advances in high-throughput epitope mapping, proteomics, and systems immunology have revealed the remarkable diversity of antibody repertoires and their ability to shape both protective and pathogenic outcomes. Infections and immune-mediated diseases—many of which remain only partially understood—remodel these antibody landscapes. This Research Topic will bring together fundamental and translational studies to explore how antibody specificity, diversity, and idiotypic interactions orchestrate immune regulation, emphasizing their dual roles in protection and disease.

The goal of this Research Topic is to deepen understanding of antibodies as regulators of immune balance, bridging mechanisms of protection with pathways of pathogenesis. While antibody-mediated neutralization has been extensively studied, broader regulatory roles—through idiotypic networks, Fc-driven effector functions, and interactions with lymphocyte subsets—remain underexplored. Cutting-edge technologies, including proteome-wide antigen microarrays, single-cell sequencing, and computational modeling, now allow detailed mapping of antibody repertoires and their immunomodulatory effects.

This collection aims to highlight shared and distinct patterns of antibody-mediated regulation in the settings of infection and immune-mediated diseases. Contributions will investigate how antibodies contribute to host defense while simultaneously promoting immune dysregulation or suppression. By integrating experimental and translational perspectives, the Research Topic seeks to generate insights that advance rational vaccine design, therapeutic antibody engineering, and diagnostic innovation—moving the field beyond descriptive antibody profiling toward a mechanistic understanding of the regulatory roles of antibodies in immunity.

This Research Topic seeks to highlight shared and distinct patterns of antibody-mediated regulation in the contexts of infection and immune-mediated diseases. We welcome contributions that explore how antibodies not only support host defense but also drive immune dysregulation or suppression.

Areas of interest include:

• Antibody repertoire profiling.
• Idiotype–anti-idiotype networks.
• Fc-mediated effector functions.
• Cross-reactivity and molecular mimicry.
• The role of antibodies in acute, chronic, and post-infectious syndromes.

Submissions addressing translational applications—such as vaccine design, therapeutic antibody engineering, and diagnostic innovation—are particularly encouraged. By integrating experimental and computational perspectives, this collection aims to move beyond descriptive antibody profiling toward a mechanistic understanding of the regulatory roles of antibodies in immunity.