National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases



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Immune System
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Immune System

Research Frontiers in Immunology

Monoclonal Antibodies

Antigen is injected into a mouse; antibody-producing plasma cells are created. These cells fuse into a hybridoma from long-lived plasma cells, and monoclonal antibodies are the result.
Monoclonal antibody technology makes it possible to mass produce specific antibodies to order. View credit information.

Genetic Engineering

Strand of DNA from cytokine producing cell has a gene cut out; meanwhile, a plasmid—a ring of DNA— is cut open from a bacterium. The cytokine geneis spliced into plasmid; hybrid plasmid is put back into a bacterium; and a bacterium makes human cytokines.
Genetic engineering transforms simple organisms into factories for making human proteins. View credit information.

SCID-hu Mouse

Immature human immune cells are injected into a mouse. Along with immature human immune tissue, these attach to mouse kidneys, creating an immuno-incompetent SCID-hu mouse.
The SCID-hu mouse provides a means of studying the human immune system in action. View credit information.

The print version is available: Understanding the Immune System: How It Works (PDF). All artwork is by Jeanne Kelly and may not be repurposed.