Professor Mohamed-Ridha Barbouche (Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia), a FAIS Executive Committee member and Professor Brian Eley (University of Cape Town, South Africa) have begun a Frontiers Research Topic partnership with the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS).
The African continent has a long-standing tradition of research in communicable diseases. Indeed, several national, regional and international agencies are investing in understanding immunity to infections and particularly those which are endemic in the continent with a focus on major killer diseases, namely AIDS/HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. More recently, an interesting effort has been made in the field of neglected infectious diseases. In contrast, with a few exceptions African immunologists are little involved in research on other immune-mediated diseases such as allergy, cancer, auto-immunity, inborn errors of immunity, or auto-inflammation despite the burden of these diseases is becoming significant in this epidemiological transition era for the continent. Indeed, public health authorities are reporting a surge of these diseases and particularities of African populations with regard to these diseases is a challenge worth being deeply investigated.
To unravel immunological mechanisms underlying several of these immune-mediated non communicable diseases and highlight their specificities in Africa is the aim of this research topic. The frontiers between communicable and non-communicable diseases will be also explored, particularly host genetic susceptibility to infections and allergy to parasites.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, Case Report, Hypothesis and Theory, and Perspective articles in the following areas:
1. Immune mechanisms underlying rheumatological and other auto-immune conditions.
2. Immunology of multiple sclerosis and other neuro-inflammatory diseases.
3. Molecular basis of inborn errors of immunity and specificities in Africa.
4. Immunity to cancer in the African context.
5. Allergies in Africa and interplay with parasitic infections.
We acknowledge the initiation and support of this Research Topic by the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). We hereby state publicly that the IUIS has had no editorial input in articles included in this Research Topic, thus ensuring that all aspects of this Research Topic are evaluated objectively, unbiased by any specific policy or opinion of the IUIS.
