New concepts in antibody-mediated immunity

The field of AMI is experiencing a renaissance. The engines driving the field are the application of hybridoma technology to understanding the mechanisms of AMI, the revolution in antibody engineering, and the availability of mice with defined genetic defects, which provide model systems to study Ab efficacy in the setting of immune deficiency. Since the presence of Abs remains the only reliable correlate of immunity to many infectious diseases (68), a better understanding of the parameters that influence AMI is likely to enhance our understanding of vaccine efficacy and host susceptibility to infection. Hence, the beginning of the 21st century resembles the beginning of the 20th century, when AMI promised, and delivered, great benefits to humankind in the form of serum therapy and new vaccines.