VOLUME 1 NUMBER 1 (January to December 2008)

De-antigenization of immunodominant epitopes: A strategy for designing vaccines against constantly mutating pathogens and other applications

Our immune system counters the invasion by viruses, bacteria, parasites and other pathogens, with specialized molecules and cells that eliminate or neutralize those invaders or the toxins that they produce. An important molecular arm of the immune system is composed of the antibodies which bindtightly and specifically to foreign substances (antigens). The specificity of an antibody molecule is so exquisite that it can distinguish between, for example, two protein antigens that differ by only one amino acid residue.