Session I: Breastfeeding and Maternal-Neonatal Interactions. Epidemiological Aspects of Breastfeeding.- Characteristics of Human Milk Antibodies and Their Effect in Relation to the Epidemiology of Breastfeeding and Infections in a Developing Country.- T Cell Development in the Fetus and Neonate.- Growth Factors and the Development of Neonatal Host Defense.- Session II: Development of the Neonatal Immune System.- Amniotic Fluid: The First Feeding of Mucosal Immune Factors.- Ontogeny of the Secretory IgA System in Humans.- IgA-Secreting Cells in the Blood of Premature and Term Infants: Normal Development and Effect of Intrauterine Infections.- Development of T Cells with Memory Phenotype in Infancy.- The Effect of Human Milk, Protein-Fortified Human Milk and Formula on Immunologic Factors of Newborn Infants.- Ontogeny of the Mucosal Immune Response in Children.- Session III: Function of Cytokines in the Development of the Immune System.- Are Cytokines in Human Milk?.- The Developing Gastrointestinal Tract and Milk-Borne Epidermal Growth Factor.- Growth Factor Signal Transduction in Human Intestinal Cells.- Role of IL-6 in Human Antigen-Specific and Polyclonal IgA Responses.- Immunological Properties and Differentiation Potential of Human Colostral Lymphocytes of B Cell Lineage.- Session IV: Innate Immune Factors.- The Effects of Colostrum on Neutrophil Function: Decreased Deformability with Increased Cytoskeleton-Associated Actin.- Peroxidases in Human Milk.- Lactoferrin Binding to Its Intestinal Receptor.- Free Fatty Acids and Monoglycerides: Anti-Infective Agents Produced During the Digestion of Milk Fat by the Newborn.- The Role of Milk-Derived Antimicrobial Lipids as Antiviral and Antibacterial Agents.- Anti-Adhesive Molecules in Human Milk.- The Effect of Human Milk on the Adherence of Enterohemorrhagic E. Coli to Rabbit Intestinal Cells.- Session V: Specific Immune Factors.- Identification and Use of Protective Monoclonal IgA Antibodies Against Viral and Bacterial Pathogens.- Production and Use of Monoclonal IgA Antibodies Complexed with Recombinant Secretory Component for Passive Mucosal Protection.- Epithelial Transport of IgA Immune Complexes.- Association of Human Milk SIgA Antibodies with Maternal Intestinal Exposure to Microbial Antigens.- Serum and Breast Milk Antibodies to Food Antigens In African Mothers And Relation To Their Diet.- Modulation of the Immune Response by Maternal Antibody.- Maternal Determinants of Neonatal Immune Response: Effect of Anti-Idiotype in the Neonate.- Immunoglobulin G Subclasses in Human Colostrum and Milk.- Secretory Defenses Against Giardia Lamblia.- Session VI: Antiviral Immunity.- Epidemiological Perspective of Breastfeeding and Acute Respiratory Illnesses in Infants.- Serotypes of Rotavirus That Infect Infants Symptomatically and Asymptomatically.- Immune Response to Rotavirus Vaccines Among Breast-FED and Nonbreast-FED Children.- Recent Advances in Development of a Rotavirus Vaccine for Prevention of Severe Diarrheal Illness of Infants and Young Chiuldren.- Rotavirus Specific Breast Milk Antibody in Two Populations and Possible Correlates of Protection.- Human Milk and HIV Infection: Epidermiologic and Laboratory Data.- Characterization of a Human Milk Factor That Inhibits Binding of HIV GP120 to Its CD4 Receptor.- Breast Milk Transmission of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection.- Antibody Responses to Cytomegalovirus in Serum and Milk of Newly Delivered Mothers.- Protection of Neonatal Mice from Fatal Reovirus Infection by Immune Serum and Gut Derived Lymphocytes.- Passive Immune Protection from Diarrhea Caused by Rotavirus or E. Coli: an Animal Model to Demonstrate and Quantitate Efficacy.- Session VII: Antibacterial Immunity.- The Antibody Response in Infants after Colonization of the Intestine with E. Coli O83. Artificial Colonization Used as a Prevention Against Nosocomial Infections.- Antibodies to Streptococci Pneumoniae in Sera and Secretions of Mothers and Their Infants.- T...

This volume discusses the latest developments in cellular, molecular, biochemical, and imaging assays to study the biology and functions of T-cells. The chapters in this book cover topics such as LFA-1/ICAM-1 interactions in T-cell motility; using 3D-SIM to dissect signaling cross-talks in motile T-cells; GapmeR-mediated gene silencing in motile T-cells; activity of cellular kinases in migrating T-cells; and computational analysis of protein-protein interactions in motile T-cells. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, T-Cell Motility: Methods and Protocols is an essential resource for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and principal investigators working in the fields of immunology, T-cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and imaging.

Mass vaccination campaigns are political projects that presume to protect individuals, communities, and societies. Like other pervasive expressions of state power - taxing, policing, conscripting - mass vaccination arouses anxiety in some people but sentiments of civic duty and shared solidarity in others. This collection of essays gives a comparative overview of vaccination at different times, in widely different places and under different types of political regime. Core themes in the chapters include immunisation as an element of state formation; citizens' articulation of seeing (or not seeing) their needs incorporated into public health practice; allegations that donors of development aid have too much influence on third-world health policies; and an ideological shift that regards vaccines more as profitable commodities than as essential tools of public health. -- .

Significant scientific progress has been made in recent years in the aetiopathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), that has changed or will change in the future the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in these diseases. The relevance of classical conventional IBD therapies has been critically re-evaluated under criteria of evidence-based medicine approaches. On the other hand, new therapeutic options have emerged. These include modern immunomodulators, biologics, probiotics, worm eggs and extracorporeal therapies. The clinical relevance of these new modalities is often difficult to assess for physicians who do not work frequently with IBD patients.

This open access book explores techniques for working in the field of immunogenetics, i.e. fundamental and translational research into the adaptive immune receptor repertoire. Many chapters are dedicated to lab protocols, bioinformatics, and immunoinformatics analysis of high-resolution immunome analysis, exemplified by numerous applications. Additionally, the newest technological variations on these protocols are discussed, including non-amplicon, single-cell, and cell-free strategies. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Immunogenetics: Methods and Protocols covers a broad spectrum of methodologies for applications in research and clinical diagnostics to illustrate the impact that immunogenetics has achieved and will further expand in all fields of medicine, from infection and (auto)immunity, to vaccination, to lymphoid malignancy and tumor immunity.

"Advances in Immunology, " a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for future.
* Contributions from leading authorities and industry experts
* Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

Autophagy is a fundamental biological process that enables cells to autodigest their own cytosol during starvation and other forms of stress. It has a growing spectrum of acknowledged roles in immunity, aging, development, neurodegeneration, and cancer biology. An immunological role of autophagy was first recognized with the discovery of autophagy's ability to sanitize the cellular interior by killing intracellular microbes. Since then, the repertoire of autophagy's roles in immunity has been vastly expanded to include a diverse but interconnected portfolio of regulatory and effector functions. Autophagy is an effector of Th1/Th2 polarization; it fuels MHC II presentation of cytosolic (self and microbial) antigens; it shapes central tolerance; it affects B and T cell homeostasis; it acts both as an effector and a regulator of Toll-like receptor and other innate immunity receptor signaling; and it may help ward off chronic inflammatory disease in humans. With such a multitude of innate and adaptive immunity functions, the study of autophagy in immunity is one of the most rapidly growing fields of contemporary immunological research. This book introduces the reader to the fundamentals of autophagy, guides a novice and the well-informed reader alike through different immunological aspects of autophagy as well as the countermeasures used by highly adapted pathogens to fight autophagy, and provides the expert with the latest, up-to-date information on the specifics of the leading edge of autophagy research in infection and immunity.

Key Features: * Explores a highly topical concept of vaccines in a comprehensive and easy to read manner. * Engages the readers with relatable and interesting anecdotes. * Provides a balanced, factual counter to the huge amount of current vaccine misinformation.

How do you discriminate yourself from other people? This question must sound odd to you since you easily recognize others at a glance and, without any effort, would not mistake them for yourself. However, it is not always easy for some people to discriminate themselves from others. For example, patients with schi- phrenia often talk with "others" living inside themselves. Thus it is likely that n- mally your brain actively recognizes and remembers the information belonging to yourself and discriminates it from the information provided by others, although you are not conscious of it. This brain function must have been particularly important for most animals to protect their lives from enemies and for species to survive through evolution. Similarly, higher organisms have also acquired their immune system through evolution that discriminates nonself pathogens and self-body to protect their lives from pathogens such as bacteria or viruses. The brain system may distinguish integrated images of self and nonself created from many inputs, such as vision, sound, smell, and others. The immune system recognizes and distinguishes a variety of structural features of self and nonself components. The latter actually include almost everything but self: for example, bacteria, viruses, toxins, pollens, chemicals, transplanted organs, and even tumor cells derived from self-tissue. To this end the immune system recruits different kinds of immune cells, such as B and T lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages.

The cytokines are a group of peptides secreted by cells of the immune system such as macrophages, lymphocytes and T cells. The term cytokine is however simplistic and in fact they can be divided into functional families and have wide ranging effects from cells and molecular pathways to the whole individual. Written by distinguished scholars and experts, this book is a holistic knowledge-base to enable scientists and doctors to understand cytokines in specific or broad detail.

Neurovirology is an interdisciplinary field representing a melding of virology, clinical neuroscience, molecular pathogenesis, diagnostic virology, molecular biology, and immunology. Neuroviral Infections: RNA Viruses and Retroviruses presents an up-to-date overview of the general principles of infections and major neuroviral infections caused by RNA viruses and retroviruses. It is designed for virologists, specialists in infectious diseases, teachers of virology, and postgraduate students of medicine, virology, neurosciences, and immunology.

This book provides the most up-to-date review on new mechanisms and provides exciting insights into how heat shock proteins modulate the hosts' immune response. Written by leaders in the field of heat shock protein immunobiology, the chapters systematically and in a step-wise fashion take the reader through the fascinating sequence of events by which heat shock proteins activate immune responses and provide answers as to its biological significance to the host. From the early stages of binding and receptors-mediated signalling, to new paradigms by which heat shock proteins are released into the circulation, to antigen processing and presentation, and finally to the immune response itself this book is a must read for graduate and postgraduates in the field of Biology (plant and mammal), Biochemistry (pro- and eukaryotic), Immunology, Microbiology, Exercise Medicine, Physiology, Inflammatory diseases, Autoimmunity, Pharmacology and Pathology.

This is an interdisciplinary book which for the first time assembles the wide spectrum of information on the basic and clinical aspects of the natural anti-Gal antibody, the alpha-gal epitope and the enzyme producing it, alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase. Anti-Gal is the most abundant antibody in humans, apes and Old World monkeys (monkeys of Asia and Africa). It binds specifically to the alpha-gal epitope (Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R) on glycoproteins and glycolipids. Humans, apes and Old World monkeys lack alpha-gal epitopes. In contrast, the alpha-gal epitope is produced in large amounts on cells of nonprimate mammals prosimians and New World monkeys (monkeys of South America), by the glycosylation enzyme alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase. This differential distribution of the alpha-gal epitope and anti-Gal in mammals is the result of an evolutionary selective process which led to the inactivation of alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase in ancestral Old World primates. A direct outcome of this event is the present rejection of xenografts such as pig organs in humans and monkeys because of the binding of human anti-Gal to alpha-gal epitopes on pig cells. The various chapters in this book were contributed by researchers studying basic and clinically related aspects of this area. The book aims to provide comprehensive and updated information on this antigen/antibody system, which at present is the major obstacle in xenotransplantation, and on some of the genetic engineering approaches developed for overcoming this obstacle. In addition, this book describes the significance of anti-Gal and alpha-gal epitopes in some parasitic, bacterial and viral infections, as well as in the pathogenesis ofautoimmune diseases such as Graves' disease. Finally, this book describes novel approaches for exploiting the natural anti-Gal antibody for increasing immunogenicity of cancer and viral vaccines in humans. This book is edited and partly written by Dr. Uri Galili who originally discovered anti-Gal and the unique evolution of &agr;-1,3-galactosyltransferase, and by Dr. Jose-Luis Avila who has been studying anti-Gal significance in Chagas' disease and in Leishmania infections. This book covers the main areas of research on &agr;-1,3galactosyltransferase, its product the &agr;-gal epitope (Gal&agr;1-3Gal&bgr;1-4GlcNAc-R) and the natural anti-Gal antibody that interacts with this epitope. The book includes chapters on: The evolution of &agr;-1,3 galactosyltransferase in mammals; the structure of the &agr;-1,3galactosyltransferase gene; the structure function relationship of the &agr; 1,3galactosyltransferase enzyme; the molecular characteristics of &agr;-gal epitopes on glycolipids and glycoproteins and methods for its detection; the natural anti-Gal antibody and its significance in xenotransplantation; attempts to prevent xenograft rejection by elimination of &agr;-1,3galactosyltransferase gene, and by modulating &agr;-gal epitope expression and anti-Gal activity; significance of anti-Gal and &agr;-gal epitopes in viral, bacterial and protozoal infections; and the possible clinical exploitation of anti-Gal for the enhancement of cancer and viral vaccine immunogenicity.

'A perfect blend of cutting-edge science and compelling storytelling. Daniel Davis has a rare knack for making complex science comprehensible and thrilling' BILL BRYSON Welcome to a revolution in the science of you. Recent and dramatic breakthroughs in our understanding of the body will profoundly change the experience of being human in the coming century. Already they are opening up boundary-breaking possibilities for intervention at every level, from our brains and genes to our microbiomes and immune systems. These will confer unprecedented powers over health, childhood development, our cognitive and physical abilities, and affect every aspect of how we live our lives and think about ourselves. As the secrets of our bodies are revealed, we all will face previously unthinkable choices with consequences we have yet to understand. Imagine knowing years in advance the precise likelihood of developing specific cancers, thanks to a bespoke understanding of every cell in your body; following a diet and health regime tailored to your microbiome; continuous monitoring of your body's workings and well-being; taking drugs that improve your cognition and help to acquire new skills; manipulating the genes of your unborn children to eliminate disease or even enhance their capabilities. Written by an award-winning scientist at the forefront of this work, The Secret Body shows how these radical and disconcerting possibilities have been made real thanks to the ingenious technologies and decades-long collaborations of scientists worldwide. A gripping drama of discovery and a landmark account of this dawning revolution, it presents a vision of the human body of dizzying complexity, wonder and possibility. 'A beautifully rendered picture of the startling new discoveries in human biology which are radically altering our understanding of how we function and what our future holds' BRIAN COX 'An extraordinary journey that reveals the magnificence, intricacy and beauty of the human body, fundamentally changing the way we see ourselves. Masterful' ALICE ROBERTS

The purpose of this book is to disseminate and deliberate on the latest knowledge concerning immunity and its role in protection and fight against microorganism invasion. The articles tackle both humoral and cellular immunity, and their interconnectivity. The former involves B cells that recognize invading pathogens and create the antibody-mediated response, which when memorized provides future immunity. The latter involves mostly T cells, exemplified by cytotoxic or killer cell destroying the pathogens, or helper cells stimulating B cells to produce antibodies to bind and neutralize the pathogens. T cells act through release of cytokines, interleukins, and other bioactive mediators. Neutrophils play a key role in innate immunity against bacterial infections. The process of NETosis is a recently unraveled sophisticated defense mechanism, consisting of the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps that catch, immobilize, and remove pathogens from the body. Dysfunction of immunity is indisputably conducive to the propensity for infections, particularly respiratory tract infections, as the airways are the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Pathogens can rapidly evolve and adapt to avoid detection by the immune system. The case in point is the influenza virus. The articles report on the epidemiology, diagnostics, serology, complications, and the process of acquired immunity due to vaccination against influenza and influenza-like infections in recent epidemic seasons. The book is a blend of medical research and practice. It is intended for academic scientists, research scholars, clinicians, family doctors, and healthcare professionals.

This book intends to investigate the broad spectrum of genetic changes in immunological processes involved in cutaneous diseases. One of the main goals of immunogenetic studies is finding susceptibility genes for complex diseases. This can provide an insight into the pathogenesis of the condition in a way that is not easily achievable through other kinds of studies. Thus they are a rational initial step for generating hypotheses about disease pathogenesis. This may especially benefit dermatology, a field notorious for having too many diseases with unknown etiologies. Immunogenetic investigations have made targeted treatment strategies possible for diseases such as psoriasis and pemphigus. Even though these strategies have revolutionized the management of chronic dermatological conditions such as psoriasis, still there are a lot of unanswered questions. For instance, psoriasis patients respond very differently to each of the commercially available biological agents. This diversity could be partially explained by the differences in the sets of genes responsible for disease induction in each individual. Thus whole genome sequencing strategies, if feasible at individual levels, might help in tailoring these targeted treatments based on specific genetic backgrounds. Our intention in preparing this book was to explore the broad spectrum of the genetic aspects of immunological processes involved in cutaneous diseases. We have tried to cover most areas of dermatology where enough studies were available to gather a chapter. Still, there is a substantial lack of knowledge on the immunogenetics of many dermatological conditions. We hope that this book would encourage the investigators to fill these gaps of knowledge.

The objective of this CTMI volume is to provide readers with a foundation for understanding what ADARs are and how they act to affect gene expression and function. Because A-to-I editing may affect base-pairing and RNA structure, processes including translation, splicing, RNA replication, and miR and siRNA silencing may be affected. It also is becoming increasingly apparent that ADARs may possess roles not only as enzymes that deaminate adenosine to produce inosine in RNA substrates with double-stranded character, but also as proteins independent of their catalytic property. Future studies of ADARs no doubt will provide us with additional surprises and new insights into the modulation of biological processes by the ADAR family of proteins.

This significant book conveys Dr William E Paul's enduring enthusiasm for the field of immunology, the incredible accomplishments of the past half-century, and the future's untapped promises. The immune system has incredible power to protect us from the ravages of infection by killing disease-causing microbes or eliminating them from the body. Boosted by vaccines, it can protect us individually and as a "herd" from diseases such as measles. As Dr Paul explains, however, the power of the immune system is a double-edged sword: an overactive immune system can wreak havoc, destroying normal tissue and causing diseases such as type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. The consequences of an impaired immune system, on the other hand, are all too evident in the clinical agonies of AIDS and other immunodeficiency diseases. Packed with illustrations, stories from Dr Paul's distinguished career, and compelling narratives of scientific discovery, Immunity presents the three laws of the human immune system-universality, tolerance, and appropriateness-and explains how the system protects and harms us. From the tale of how smallpox was overcome to the lessons of the Ebola epidemic to the utility of vaccines and the hope that the immune system can be used to treat or prevent cancer, Dr Paul argues that we must position ourselves to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies and promising new tools in immunological research, including big data and the microbiome.

This symposium is devoted to Biotechnology in Blood Transfusion; there are 22 experts discussing the state of the art in the application of monoclonal anti bodies, recombinant DNA technologies and heterologous expression systems to the improvement and sometimes replacement of blood products, charac terization of blood constituents, and the effect of these developments on blood transfusion procedures. Ten and maybe five years ago the title of a symposium such as this would have been Biosciences in blood transfusion, informing what basic developments in molecular biology, biochemistry and human physiology might pertain to blood transfusion in the distant future. That future is getting closer, and not only one is interested in basic developments in immunology, recognition and identification of viral and bacterial components and products, tissue and blood bloodgroup blood group typing, typing, but also in the potential application of these developments and their economic perspectives. That is what biotechnology is all alI about: basic science telIs tells us where and how we might look for new technologies, and the development of such tech nologies is only possible if there is a perspective for improvement in quality, safety, acceptance or performance to cost ratio."

This book encompasses the proceedings of a conference held at Trinity College, Oxford on September 21-25, 1985 organized by a committee comprised of Drs. M. Crumpton, M. Feldmann, A. McMichael, and E. Simpson, and advised by many friends and colleagues. The immune response gene workshops that took place were based on the need to understand why certain experimental animal strains were high responders and others were low responders. It was assumed that identification of the immune response (Ir) genes and definition of their products would explain high and low responder status. Research in the ensuing years has identified the Ir gene products involved in antibody responses as the la antigens, or MHC Class II antigens. These proteins are now well defined as members of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily, and their domain structure is known. Epitopes have been defined by multiple mono clonal antibodies and regions of hypervariability identified. Their genes have been identified and cloned. The basic observation of high and low responsive ness to antigen is still not understood in mechanistic terms, however, at either the cellular or molecular level. This is because the rate of progress in immune regulation has been far slower than in the molecular biology of the MHC Class II antigens. This is not surprising, since immune regulation is a very complex field at the crossroads of many disciplines."

Infections in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases: Risk Factors and Management, Volume Sixteen describes the state-of-the-art of the risk factors and management treating the most common systemic autoimmune diseases (SADS). This updated volume consists of an introductory chapter that provides a brief overview of what different types of infectious diseases exist, followed by eight chapters detailing risk factors, guidelines and recommendations per different disease and bacterial infections. International in scope, the list of more than 20 contributors from Europa and America reads like a who's who of clinical researchers in the field.

Immunophenotyping Edited by Carleton C. Stewart and Janet K. A. Nicholson In the last twenty years there has been an explosion of immunophenotyping applications using flow cytometry in the clinical laboratory. Immunophenotyping offers essential information for clinicians and laboratorians about the uses of flow cytometers, identifying abnormalities in a variety of disorders, tools of immunophenotyping, assessing platelets in disease states, and much more. This second volume in the new series, Cytometric Cellular Analysis, comprises all cytometric methods currently used to study cellular function through reviews of the principles, theoretical background, and applications of these methods with particular reference to their use in clinical laboratories. Cellular analytical technologies have revolutionized our ability to identify, isolate, and functionally characterize single cells. This volume addresses one of the most important aspects of flow cytometry as it applies to the clinical setting. In addition, this comprehensive book:

• Discusses methods used for quality controlling immunophenotyping trials
• Reviews various approaches to the use of flow cytometers to quantify fluorescence
• Explains how cell surface receptors differentiate between normal and abnormal tissues for diseases including lymphoma, leukemia, and AIDS
• Describes a new, sensitive flow cytometric immunophenotyping assay for cross-matching in the case of transplants

This volume provides a comprehensive compilation of protocols in T cell repertoire analysis, from the leading experts in the field, representing both well-established methods and cutting-edge advances. Chapters broadly cover the emerging new T cell subsets, sequencing technologies for capturing TCR repertoire, and computational tools for analyzing an ever-growing TCR repertoire, with a particular focus on how to link the sequence with TCR antigen specificity. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, T-Cell Repertoire Characterization aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.

An understanding of virus infection and the underlying role of the immune system in protection against these diseases is vital in today 's medical climate. Previously, only symptoms could be treated, as there were no antiviral therapies. The increasing amounts of research and the huge number of discoveries of immunologic agents and pathways has led to the opportunity to look to the basic physiology of the various disease process as never before. This book is designed to provide the clinician with a thorough and yet approachable textbook describing the relationships between immunology, virology and the disease process.

Of recent, the structure of the complement system has received considerable attention, including the publication of several three-dimensional structures of complement proteins. This has led to the need for an authoritative resource to provide a complete overview of the basics, as well as an explanation of the cutting-edge work being accomplished in this emerging science. Structural Biology of the Complement System is devoted to the full exploration of structural aspects of the complement system, with special consideration of the links between molecular structure and function. Containing the work of leading authorities across the disciplines of immunology and structural biology, the book serves both as an introductory volume for newcomers to the field and as a comprehensive reference for established researchers, in particular those whose goal is the discovery of anticomplement drugs. Written in a didactic style, this volume is an appropriate resource for students in the fields of immunology and structural biology. Structural Biology of the Complement System comes with downloadable resources containing color figures, a molecular structure visualization program, and files with three-dimensional coordinates of the structures described in the book. These tools allow readers to perform tailored structural manipulation and analysis, while also serving as a starting point for further research.