Journal Article

The Future of Blood Testing Is the Immunome

Rubelt, Florian, Schwab, Nicholas, Arnaout, Ramy A., Prak, Eline T. Luning

2021

Overview

It is increasingly clear that an extraordinarily diverse range of clinically important conditions—including infections, vaccinations, autoimmune diseases, transplants, transfusion reactions, aging, and cancers—leave telltale signatures in the millions of V(D)J-rearranged antibody and T cell receptor [TR per the Human Genome Organization (HUGO) nomenclature but more commonly known as TCR] genes collectively expressed by a person’s B cells (antibodies) and T cells. We refer to these as the immunome . Because of its diversity and complexity, the immunome provides singular opportunities for advancing personalized medicine by serving as the substrate for a highly multiplexed, near-universal blood test. Here we discuss some of these opportunities, the current state of immunome-based diagnostics, and highlight some of the challenges involved. We conclude with a call to clinicians, researchers, and others to join efforts with the Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire Community (AIRR-C) to realize the diagnostic potential of the immunome.

• Publisher: Frontiers Media SA,Frontiers,Frontiers Media S.A
• Subject: adaptive immune receptor repertoire (AIRR) / Adaptive immunology / analyses / Antibodies / antibody repertoire / Antigens / Autoimmune diseases / Blood tests / Cancer / diagnostic test / Disease / Genes / Haplotypes / Immune response / Immune system / Immunoglobulins / Immunology / immunome / Influenza / Laboratories / Life Sciences / Lymphocytes / Lymphocytes B / Lymphocytes T / Pathogens / Patients / Precision medicine / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / T cell receptors / T-cell receptor repertoire / Transplants & implants / Vaccination