What is immunome?

Development of immunology in the 20th and first quarter of the 21st centuries led to understanding that immunity is not only involved in the pathogenesis of different diseases, but also in the homeostasis and repair of organs and tissues. It mediates healthy interactions with food and environmental antigens, pregnancy, and interactions with microbiota. Recognition of the immune system's role as an integrating system within the body led to the coining of the term "immunome," which, by analogy with the genome, proteome, metabolome, and so on, was initially defined as the totality of rearranged antibody genes and T- and B-cell antigen receptors (TCR and BCR). It is believed that the volume of information encoded in the antibody genes, TCR, and BCR, is several orders of magnitude greater than the size of human genome. This is due to the specific V-(D-)J rearrangements of these receptors, the involvement of both chains in the formation of the antigen-recognizing V domains, and the presence of hypersomatic mutations during antibody maturation. A dedicated application for adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing, or AIRR-seq, has been created to collect and analyze this information. Knowledge of the TCR and BCR repertoire can be used to develop modern vaccines against particularly dangerous pathogens, as well as to rapidly develop vaccines in the event of emergence of a completely new pathogen, and to create personalized vaccines for the elderly and special patient groups. Expanded definition of the immunome includes not only immunocompetent cells, their receptors, and the various molecules they synthesize, but also any "non-immune" cells and molecules involved in orchestrating immune responses and the microenvironment, in which immune responses occur. This understanding of the immunome is important for deciphering the immunopathogenesis of diseases, identifying biomarkers for various pathologies to stratify patients, and personalizing therapy. The incredible complexity of the immunome and its internal connections requires the use of the most advanced approaches in mathematical modeling, bioinformatics, other computational tools, and the increasingly powerful artificial intelligence.