The UK has been a leading global player in infectious disease research, but its position has been eroded over the past decade. The changing global health and economic risks, and changes in R&D structures and techniques, all call for new investment to strengthen the research base, rationalise and modernise infrastructure and focus on new priorities.

Meeting new challenges
Human and animal mobility, environmental change and the risk of terrorism have all contributed to the increasing threat infection poses to the health of humans and livestock throughout the world. Whilst significant advances were made during the last century to tackle the infectious diseases (including public health measures, vaccines and antibiotics), there is now a growing need for new insights and research initiatives. Some of the key challenges include:

• Viral infections, which are still mostly untreatable. Only a few effective anti-viral drugs have emerged from past scientific approaches.
  
  
• High-cost chronic infections, such as hepatitis C and B, and tuberculosis (TB), which are rapidly increasing in importance.
  
  
• Antibiotic resistance and the evolution of super-bugs, which threaten our ability to treat bacterial infection.
  
  
• Well-known pathogens (like anthrax, smallpox and influenza), which could constitute a bio-terrorism threat to the UK, but where understanding of the modes of action and host defences is still limited.
  

Our knowledge about the genetics of infectious disease, and the interplay between pathogens and their hosts is growing rapidly. This is an ideal time to build on these advances to open up new targets for drug action or vaccine design, and make the most of the body’s natural defences.