Africans and Europeans have genetically different immune systems... and Neanderthals had something to do with it

The immune system can be highly active in some people but much less effective in others. This has major implications for the body's level of protection against pathogens - but what is the reason for these differences? As we prepare the ground for the personalized medicine of the future, we need to be able to identify the factors that affect our response to viral and bacterial infections so that we can understand why some people are predisposed to certain diseases. In a large-scale study published this week in the prestigious journal Cell, scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS unraveled the immune response of 200 African and European individuals. Their findings show that there is indeed a difference in the way these populations respond to infections, that this response is largely controlled by genetics, and that natural selection has played a part in shaping our immune profiles. They also offer proof that the genetic legacy passed on by Neanderthals to Europeans has significantly influenced their ability to protect themselves from viruses.

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