Biosafety and immunology: An interdisciplinary field for health priority.
Jun Liu, Gary Wong, Hui Li, Yan Yang, Yuxi Cao, Yongfeng Li, Yan Wu, Zijie Zhang, Cong Jin, Xi Wang, Yongwen Chen, Bin Su, Zhongfang Wang, Qihui Wang, Yunlong Cao, Guobing Chen, Zhaohui Qian, Jincun Zhao, Guizhen Wu
Author Information
Jun Liu: NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases (NITFID), Research Unit of Adaptive Evolution and Control of Emerging Viruses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Gary Wong: Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Pasteur Network, Phnom Penh 12000, Cambodia.
Hui Li: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center for Respiratory Diseases, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
Yan Yang: NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases (NITFID), Research Unit of Adaptive Evolution and Control of Emerging Viruses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Yuxi Cao: NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases (NITFID), Research Unit of Adaptive Evolution and Control of Emerging Viruses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Yongfeng Li: State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150040, China.
Yan Wu: Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Zijie Zhang: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource and School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China.
Cong Jin: National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Xi Wang: Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Yongwen Chen: Institute of Immunology, PLA, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 200025, China.
Bin Su: Beijing Key Laboratory for HIV/AIDS Research, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Guobing Chen: Key Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis & Infection Prevention and Control (Jinan University), Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Geriatric Immunology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Zhaohui Qian: NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China.
Guizhen Wu: NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases (NITFID), Research Unit of Adaptive Evolution and Control of Emerging Viruses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
Biosafety hazards can trigger a host immune response after infection, invasion, or contact with the host. Whether infection with a microorganism results in disease or biosafety concerns depends to a large extent on the immune status of the population. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the immunological characteristics of the host and the mechanisms of biological threats and agents to protect the host more effectively. Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have raised concerns regarding both biosafety and immunology worldwide. Interdisciplinary studies involved in biosafety and immunology are relevant in many fields, including the development of vaccines and other immune interventions such as monoclonal antibodies and T-cells, herd immunity (or population-level barrier immunity), immunopathology, and multispecies immunity, i.e., animals and even plants. Meanwhile, advances in immunological science and technology are occurring rapidly, resulting in important research achievements that may contribute to the recognition of emerging biosafety hazards, as well as early warning, prevention, and defense systems. This review provides an overview of the interdisciplinary field of biosafety and immunology. Close collaboration and innovative application of immunology in the field of biosafety is becoming essential for human health.
