Vaccination to treat noninfectious diseases: Surveying the opportunities

Vaccination for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases has been the most successful medical intervention from a public health perspective. The application of vaccination for treating noninfectious diseases is becoming more common and there are many recent examples of applying vaccine technology to a diverse range of noninfectious diseases. This chapter categorizes the immunological requirements of different classes of noninfectious diseases to show the underlying immunological mechanisms that have to be considered in the design of appropriate vaccines. Broadly, this encompasses treatments requiring the strong induction of immune responses, both humoral and cell mediated, or the down modulation of an existing pathological immune response, either through immune deviation or suppression. The chapter highlights the desired adjuvant qualities required for each approach and takes a look at some of the potential dangers that may result from using vaccine formulations that push the immune system too far in one particular direction.