How healthy am I? My immunome knows the score.

Every person’s immune system is different. It’s shaped by our DNA, past illnesses, the air we’ve breathed, the food we’ve eaten, our age, and the traumas and stresses we’ve experienced—in short, everything we’ve ever been exposed to physically and emotionally. 

For years, the galaxy of cells, proteins and molecules that make up our immune systems existed as a mysterious and unknowable force, one with enormous influence over our health but beyond the reach of modern medicine. Now, thanks to new technologies, that’s changing.

Scientists are learning to “read” the immune system for clues about the state of our health. All they need is a blood test. In this story, hear from one of the first people to have his immunome tested, and get a glimpse into a possible future in which such tests are a standard part of primary care, enabling doctors to detect illness before symptoms appear, diseases worsen, or tumors grow and metastasize.