Like fingerprints, immune systems vary from person to person. And although we all inherit a unique set of genes that help us respond to infections, recent studies have found that our history and environment—like where and with whom we live—are responsible for 60% to 80% of the differences between individual immune systems, while genetics account for the rest. In a Review published September 29 in Trends in Immunology, three immunologists discuss the emerging science of what shapes our immune systems and how it might be applied. According to them, we’re finally starting to crack the immune code, and we’re shifting away from the simplistic idea that there is only one type of immune system. Diversity isn’t just programmed into our genes-- it emerges from how our genes respond to the environment. http://www.vib.be/en/news/Pages/Where-You-Live-Shapes-Your-Immune-System-More-than-Your-Genes.aspx Full study: http://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/fulltext/S1471-4906(16)30091-6
