Welcome to the Immune System/Infections Studies Page
About Immune System/Infections
By deterring and defeating diseases, the immune system defends the body from threats. Some diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, impair or disable the immune system, making the body incredibly vulnerable to disease. Other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can cause the immune system to malfunction and begin to attack the body. Allergic reactions are excessive immune system responses as well, triggered by medications or foods or other foreign substances. Vaccines grant children immunity to certain diseases by training the immune system to respond to weakened forms of dangerous diseases. By studying the immune system, researchers try to help the body’s defenses hold the line in the fight against disease and to prevent the body from turning those defenses on itself.
