Allergy & Immunology

Eco-Immunology:Evolutive Aspects & Future Perspectives

Eco-immunology is an explicit example of how fruitful integrative & innovative approaches to biology can be. Since its emergence, Eco -immunology has sparked constructive debate on a wide range of topics, from the molecular & cellular mechanics of immune responses to the role of immunity in shaping the evolution of life histories. To complement the symposium Methods and Mechanisms in Eco-immunology and commemorate the inception of Disease Ecology and the Division of Eco-immunology within the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, we appraise the origins of Eco-immunology, with a focus on its continuing and valuable integration with disease ecology. The greatest contribution of Eco-immunology to wider biology has been the establishment of immunity as an integral part of organismal biology, one that may be regulated to maximize fitness in the context of costs, constraints, and complex interactions. As we discuss historical impediments and ongoing progress in Eco-immunology, in particular, the thorny issue of what Eco-immunologists should, should not, or cannot measure, and what novel contributions Eco-immunologists have made to the understanding of host-parasite interactions. Finally, we highlight & focus some areas to which Eco-immunology are likely to contribute in the near future.