The contribution of immunology to the rational design of novel antibacterial vaccines.

In most cases, a successful vaccine must induce an immune response that is better than the response invoked by natural infection. Vaccines are still unavailable for several bacterial infections and vaccines to prevent such infections will be best developed on the basis of our increasing insights into the immune response. Knowledge of the signals that determine the best possible acquired immune response against a given pathogen - comprising a profound T- and B-cell memory response as well as long-lived plasma cells - will provide the scientific framework for the rational design of novel antibacterial vaccines.