Clinical Immunology is at the crossroad where biologically and clinically relevant research intersect with clinical practice in infectious disease and cancer, yet there is often not a structured cross-fertilizing interface between these disciplines.

Immunological approaches in vaccination, clinical management in biological, cellular therapy in cancer and infectious diseases share many communalities. A structured and open interface with exchanging clinical data, design of clinical studies and treatment concepts will benefit both fields, cancer immunotherapy and host-directed therapies – where the immune response of the patient is actively manipulated to achieve a more favorable outcome. A clinical research consortium, now with a particular focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, entered into a strategic alliance with the aim to better understand the nature of COVID-19 pathophysiology and to design rationally based treatment concepts.