Infection and Immunity

More than 17 million people world-wide die of infectious diseases every year – this accounts for one third of all deaths. International mobility causes pathogens to spread faster than in the past. In view of the growing threat posed by infectious diseases, researchers are studying the molecular and cellular processes occurring in the course of an infection to understand how and why specific pathogens trigger symptoms. In parallel they analyse the mechanisms of immunity with the aim to develop both new strategies in fighting infection diseases and in immunotherapeutic approaches. In order to better understand viral or bacterial diseases, which can be transferred from animals to humans (for example, SARS), the zoonosis research will also be further developed in future.