Dear Colleagues,

A fully functional immune system is critical for the survival of an organism, particularly to meet the challenges posed by infection, injury, and malignancy. In order to perform these roles, a rich repertoire of specialized immune cells is required, which collectively form the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Each of these arms work both individually and together to mediate a robust immune response. This sophisticated network of immune cells relies on a complex developmental program for its generation and subsequent regulation. Underpinning this process are a myriad of genes encoding transcription factors as well as signaling and effector proteins which serve to initiate, regulate, and functionalize immune response. This special journal issue entitled ‘Genes involved in immune system development’ aims to highlight some of the key genes that impact this process, outline their mechanisms of action, and highlight potential roles in disease.

Prof. Alister C. Ward

Guest Editor