Allergy, Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These airways, or bronchial tubes, allow air to come in and out of the lungs. For many asthma sufferers, timing of these symptoms is closely related to physical activity. And, some otherwise healthy people can develop asthma symptoms only when exercising. People with a family history of allergies or asthma are more prone to developing asthma. Many people with asthma also have allergies. This is called allergic asthma.

All living things are subject to attack from disease-causing agents. Even bacteria, so small that more than a million could fit on the head of a pin, have systems to defend against infection by viruses. This kind of protection gets more sophisticated as organisms become more complex. Multicellular animals have dedicated cells or tissues to deal with the threat of infection. Some of these responses happen immediately so that an infecting agent can be quickly contained. Other responses are slower but are more tailored to the infecting agent. Collectively, these protections are known as the immune system.

Zoonotic means infectious diseases that are spread between animals and people, because these diseases can cause sickness or death in people. However, some animals can carry harmful germs that can be shared with people and cause illness – these are known as zoonotic diseases or zoonoses. Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacterial, parasites, and fungi. These germs can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals ranging from mild to serious illness and even death. Some animals can appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick.

Virology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents, including (but not limited to) their taxonomy, disease-producing properties, cultivation and genetics. It is often considered a part of microbiology or pathology. In the early years this discipline was dependent upon advances in the chemical and physical sciences, but viruses soon became tools for probing basic biochemical processes of cells. Viruses have traditionally been viewed in a rather negative context as agents responsible for disease that must be controlled or eliminated. However, viruses also have certain beneficial properties that can be exploited for useful purposes (for example in gene therapy or vaccinology).

Immunology deals with physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and disease as well as malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders like allergies, hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, transplant rejection and autoimmune disorders. Immunology deals with physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the immune system in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. Immunology has a vast array of uses in several disciplines of science and medical science.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a set of chronic inflammatory lung disease. The disease is contributed by Emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is the condition in which the alveoli get destroyed and chronic bronchitis is the condition where inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes takes place. The main cause for COPD is exposure to irritating gases or particulate matter, mostly cigarette smoke. People who smoke even after having asthma or people who have long-term exposure to chemical fumes, vapours and dust in the workplace, fumes from burning fuel for cooking and heating in poorly ventilated homes are at risk of developing COPD. Rare cause for COPD is genetic disorder: alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. COPD symptoms don’t appear initially hence research in COPD diagnosis in enhancing as misdiagnosis can increase the risk of COPD in the person cause heart disease, lung cancer and so on.

Considering the case of neonates and children where the immune system is not fully functional at birth and still developing, later on, the chances of them being susceptible to infections and pathogens are high and response to vaccines is not that effective compared to adults. This could later lead to the development of allergy, asthma or other immune disorders hence the care and prevention methods employed are discussed under Neonatal Immunology and Pediatric Immunology. Infants receive their innate immunology through their mother either by placenta when they are in the womb or through breast milk. Immunity acquired later on by infants and kids is acquired through life. Asthma pregnancy i.e. if the mother has asthma then chances exists for children to develop allergy/ asthma. Children who get in contact with several foreign agents are prone to Pediatric Allergy. 

Immunotherapy is the treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response. In recent years, immunotherapy has become of great interest to researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies, particularly in its promise to treat various forms of cancer. With thousands of patents filed annually on the subject, it is estimated that there are thousands of immunotherapy licensing opportunities across technology transfer offices that are in need of development and commercialization partners. Immunomodulatory regimens often have fewer side effects than existing drugs, including less potential for creating resistance when treating microbial disease.

Allergy diagnostics and the immunotherapeutic market is expected to increase by a huge amount suspects several market analysts due to increasing prevalence of allergic conditions. The increasing lifestyle habits, pollution and urbanization targets diseases like asthma and food allergy at a hype increasing the incidences of allergies and demanding cost-effective, sensitive and accurate diagnostic products and therapeutics among hospitals, diagnostic labs and healthcare companies worldwide. The rising level of environmental pollution and the need for faster, accurate and high throughput technologies has increased the allergy diagnostics market product wise with assay kits, immunoassay analyzers, luminometers and ELISA analysers dominating the market which is followed by inhaled allergens. North America followed by Europe, Asia and the Middle East are countries accounting for allergy research and market share.