Immunogenic presentation of viral and bacterial antigens: iscom and OMV as a basis for new vaccines

During life the body is challenged by a wide variety of infectious agents. To combat and constrain infections with these agents the immune system uses a complex network of defence mechanisms. One of these is the ability to respond in a specific way (adaptive innnunity) to unique stmctures (antigens) of the agent or its products. Interestingly, many agents have developed ways to escape from, or suppress specific and non-specific immune effector mechanisms. The principle of vaccination, which was introduced more than 200 years ago by Edward Jenner (Willis, 1997), utilizes the ability of the immune system to develop a specific immune and/or memory response, before the body is exposed to the pathogen, thereby mimicking specific immunity induced by infection.