The inflammatory response serves a dual function. On the one hand, it deploys robust circuits of humoral and cell-mediated effector mechanisms to protect the host from harmful pathogens, both directly, through innate, rapid-onset processes and indirectly, by eliciting the adaptive arm of the immune response.

Throughout most of the 20th Century, the question of cancer causation divided oncologists between the infectious and the mutation fields. Both sides counted innumerable pieces of evidence in their favor, but the mutation theory of the origins of cancer eventually won the contest and constitutes now the paradigm in oncology.

How do eukaryotic cells regulate the size and activity of different compartments to couple functional competence and homeostasis? How do they readapt to fulfil novels physiological tasks? Over the last years, some answers to these fundamental questions came from studies on the secretory system.

Host-Pathogen Interaction is a privileged area of observation of nature as it is where pathogenic microorganisms and host confront themselves with the common goal of "having success in the world". Microorganisms evolve very rapidly, and very rapidly develop an arsenal of virulence factors that are tailored around key host function.