ABSTRACT

The most exciting area of contemporary immunology is that concerned with the development of novel immunotherapeutic agents. Many products are now in the stage of human clinical trials, but their development required detailed knowledge of disease pathogenesis (e.g. identification of immunodominant peptide sequences of allergens or autoantigens). Similar information must be obtained for dogs and cats before such methodology can be applied to treatment of disease in these species. Nevertheless, the potential for immunotherapeutic modulation of small animal disease is great, and several biotechnology companies are investigating the application of particular approaches to veterinary medicine.