Mastering Immunity 2025 Panel: The Future of Vaccine Design – Antibodies, T Cells, and Beyond

This panel discusses the complexities of vaccine design, emphasizing that both humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) responses are critical, but their relative importance may differ depending on whether the goal is to prevent infection or severe disease. Evidence from COVID-19 and influenza suggests that sterilizing immunity is difficult to achieve and may not be necessary, as mild infections can act as natural boosters, while strong T-cell responses provide durable protection against severe disease. The discussion also highlighted the importance of multiple antigens, memory B cells, and the potential risks of vaccine-induced immunopathology if immune responses are improperly targeted. Finally, there was consensus on exploring localized and mucosal immunity, improved delivery routes, and better assays to measure immune responses for more effective vaccines.

Moderated by: Prof. Antonio Bertoletti (Duke-NUS Medical School)

Panellists: Prof. Lisa Ng (A*IDL), Prof. Kiat Ruxrungtham (Chulalongkorn University), Prof. Tao Dong (University of Oxford), Prof. Hideki Ueno (Kyoto University) and Prof. Nikolai Petrovsky (Australian Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Institute)