Glossary terms with V

V

Vaccine

A vaccine stimulates the immune system to develop a protective immune response against a specific pathogen or disease.

Vaccine design

Vaccine design is the process of targeted adjustments of a vaccine.

Validation

In biological research, validation refers to providing evidence for the suitability of a method or substance or for the validity of a theory.

Vancomycin

Vancomycin is an antibiotic used to treat infections with gram-positive bacteria (e.g. streptococci or staphylococci).

Viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is an infection caused by hepatitis viruses that damages the liver.

Viral load

Viral load refers to the amount of a virus or its genetic material in a specific volume of a biological sample, such as blood or plasma.

Viral vector vaccine

Vector vaccines use modified viruses as carriers to deliver genetic information for an antigen into bodily cells, thereby triggering a protective immune response.

Viremia

Viremia describes the (massive) presence of viruses in the blood.

Virostatic agents

Virostatic agents are drugs to fight viral infections.

Virulence

Virulence is a pathogen’s ability to cause disease. It determines the degree of pathogenicity.