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Article: Immunogenetics
- Article from:
- World of Microbiology and Immunology
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Immunogenetics
Immunogenetics is the study of the mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, tolerance in organ transplantation, and
immunity
to infectious diseases
—
with a special emphasis on the role of the genetic make-up of an organism in these processes. The
immune system
evolved essentially to protect vertebrates from a myriad species of potentially harmful infectious agents such as
bacteria
, virus,
fungi
and various eukaryotic
parasites
. However, the growing understanding of the immune system has influenced a variety of different biomedical disciplines, and is playing an increasingly important role in the study and treatment of many human diseases such as cancer and ...