The incidence of autoimmune diseases is increasing worldwide, and the search for better management of these diseases and even for a cure is being pursued by scientists from many disciplines. Tools from the areas of genetics, neuroscience, cell biology, virology, and infectious disease are being applied to the problem and are yielding useful results.

This volume contains the first section of the proceedings of a large, comprehensive meeting held in Sorrento, Italy. Because the meeting focused on such an important area of human health, four volumes have been dedicated to it: Part A presents new principles in autoimmunity, including the roles of key players such as designed ankyrin repeat proteins, SLAM-associated protein, interleukin-12, human proteinase 3, the complement system, IgG, disturbances in cytokine synthesis, and IFN-γ blockers. The second section of the volume takes a look at new diagnostic tools, including screening of endothelial expression libraries, electrical skin impedance, and IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody assays.

"Autoimmunity, Part B" continues the presentation of basic research and its applications with a focus on genetics. Parts C and D present the clinical research in various manifestations of autoimmune disease and its treatments.

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Chronic viral hepatitis has emerged as one of the most common causes of disease and death worldwide. Because of their unique modes of replication and intimate association with the host immune system, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) pose challenging problems to scientists in basic and applied research as well as to clinicians engaged in disease management. Although approved antiviral therapy is available for chronic HBV, the emergence of viral resistance provides a rationale for the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents. The lack of a robust cell culture system for HCV replication and a readily accessible small-animal model of HCV infection have hampered the development of antiviral agents for HCV. Neverthe-less, new antiviral agents targeting HCV are now in preclinical and clinical development.

This monograph, providing an up-to-date overview of the field of Hepatitis Prevention and Treatment, includes contributions from internationally recognized experts in the field of viral hepatitis, and covers the current state of knowledge and practice regarding the molecular biology, immunology, biochemistry, pharmacology and clinical aspects of chronic HBV and HCV infection. The volume includes salient topics such as: the history and epidemiology of HBV and HCV; recent insights into the molecular mechanisms of viral replication; the host immune response to infection and a discussion of the use (HBV) or potential development (HCV) of vaccines; the current standard of care for chronically-infected patients; and emerging therapies and issues associated with current antiviral treatments. The latest information to researchers and clinicians actively engaged in viral hepatitis research is provided, but also sufficient background and discussion of the literature to benefit the newcomer to the field.

Advances in Applied Microbiology, Volume 99 continues is one of the most widely read and authoritative review sources in microbiology, containing comprehensive reviews of the most current research in applied microbiology. This volume presents comprehensive information on a variety of topics, including the Physiological Role of Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems in Food-Associated Lactic Acid Bacteria, Fungal Bio recovery of Gold from E-Waste, Stone-Eating Fungi: Mechanisms in Bio weathering and the Potential Role of Laccases in Black Slate Degradation with the Basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune, and the Arsenic Detoxification System in Corynebacteria: Basis and Application for Bioremediation and Redox Control. This serial's eclectic volumes are supplemented by thematic volumes on various topics, including Archaea and sick building syndrome. Users will find invaluable references and information on a variety of areas, including protozoan grazing of freshwater biofilms, metals in yeast fermentation processes, the interpretation of host-pathogen dialogue through microarrays, and the role of polyamines in bacterial growth and biofilm formation.

Advances in Immunology, Volume 134, the latest release in a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments and comprehensive reviews in immunology. Topics covered in this new volume include ?d T Cells and B Cells, A Chemoattractant-Guided Walk Through Lymphopoiesis: From Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Mature B Lymphocytes. Tissue Specific Regulation of Dendritic Cell Development and Function, and the Regulation of Innate and Adaptive Immunity by Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFss). Articles in this long running series 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 the future.

Provides an overview of the effects of environmentally and occupationally important metals on the immune system and host defence. The fist ten chapters in the text focus on particular metals or groups of metals, including arsenic, beryllium, cadmiun, chronium, lead, mercury, nickel and vanadium. Subsequent chapters examine the immunotoxicological effects of trace metals such as indium and platinum and essential metals such as iron, zinc and copper. The main emphasis is on the "in vivo" and "in vitro" effects of these metals on host immune responses in a variety of mammalian species including humans. Each chapter also briefly reviews the history, use, occurance, biology and toxicology of the metals.

This book centers on gene therapy and gene transfer approaches to prevent or treat chronic virus infections. The main focus is on the Big Three: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Ample anti-HIV drugs are currently available in the clinic and the development of an effective combination therapy has dramatically improved the lifespan and quality of life of infected individuals. A similar trend can already be recognized for HBV and HCV: the development of multiple (directly acting) antiviral drugs and plans to control or even cure the infection. However, approaches that help prevent infection, or which provide long-lasting treatment (such as a cure) remain important goals. Immunization through gene transfer vehicles encoding immunogenic viral proteins shows promise in preventing infections with complex, highly variable, viruses such as HIV-1 or HCV. Gene therapy applications for virus infections have been discussed since the early 1990's. Whereas a true cure seems difficult to achieve for HIV-1 due to its intrinsic property to deposit its genome into that of the host, such attempts may be within reach for HCV where spontaneous viral clearance occurs in a small percentage of the infected individuals. The prospect of original gene therapy approaches may provide alternative ways to reach the same endpoint by, for example, silencing of CCR5 expression post-transcriptionally. Many alternative antiviral strategies have been developed based on a variety of novel molecular methods: e.g. ribozymes. Some studies have progressed towards pre-clinical animal models and a few antiviral gene therapies have progressed towards clinical trials. This book provides an overview of this rapidly progressing field, while focusing on the interface of gene therapy and immunology/vaccinology.

This issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Andrew A. White, is devoted to Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease. Articles in this issue include: An Overview of Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Reactions; The Clinical Presentation of Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease; Diagnostic Evaluation in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease; Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease as an Endotype of Chronic Rhinosinusitis; Pathogenesis of Aspirin Reactions in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease; Performing Aspirin Desensitization; Clinical Trials in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease Treatment; Eosinophils and Mast Cells in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease; Mechanisms of Benefit with Aspirin Therapy; Lipid Mediators in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease; and Epigenetic and Genetic Components of Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

The realization that epithelial tissues are not simply passive barriers to the adsorption of materials into internal environments has brought about an enormous growth of investigation of mucosal functions and their active and passive protective roles. Epithelia are highly organized but complex structures, subserving numerous functions, including immunological defence. The use of pharmacological tools in these systems is increasing, which is improving our understanding of epithelial immunobiology.;This volume adopts a step-by-step approach whereby each chapter builds upon the previous one, progressively adding important foundation information, culminating in a series of chapters concerning particular epithelia, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal and ocular. The result is a comprehensive, but integrated, treatise of piethelial function and its immunopharmacology, which aims to scrve as an appropriate starting point at which the clinical pulmonologist and the research scientist can obtain an appreciation of some aspects of epithelial immununopharmacology as they are currently understood.

The consequences for diseases involving the immune system such as AIDS, and chronic inflammatory diseases such as bronchial asthma, rheumatoid athritis, and atherosclerosis, now account for a considerable economic burden to governments worldwide. In response there has been an enormous research effort investigating the basic mechanisms underlying such diseases, and a tremendous drive to identify novel therapeutic applications for their preventions and treatment. Though a plethora of immunological studies have been published in recent years, little has been written about the implications of such research for drug development. As a consequence, this area has not gained the prominence of other new fields such as molecular pharmacology or neuropharmacology, and a focal information source for many pharmacologists interested in diseases of the immune system remains unpublished. The Handbook of Immunopharmacology series provides such a source through the commissioning of a comprehensive collection of volumes on all aspects immunopharmacology. Editors have been sought after for each volume who are not only active in their respective areas of expertise, but who also have distinctly pharmacological bias to their research. The series follows three main themes, each represented by volumes on individual component topics. The first covers each of the major cell types and classes of inflammatory responses that can affect them ("Systems"). The third covers different classes of diseases as well as those under development ("Drugs").

This book provides readers with a collection of latest reviews written by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) research leaders who cover topics related to CHIKV replication, advances in CHIKV research reagents and model system development, as well as the pathogenesis of chronic CHIKV disease. Moreover, the volume updates on recent progress in the development of therapeutics and vaccines for treatment and prevention of CHIKV-induced disease. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has re-emerged to become a significant global disease threat. Although CHIKV has historically been associated with localized outbreaks of debilitating polyarthralgia in Africa and Asia, factors such as increased global travel and viral adaptation to new mosquito vectors have led to the introduction and spread of CHIKV in new regions of the world, including the Americas. The re-emergence of CHIKV has stimulated significant interest both in understanding the biology of CHIKV and in the development of medical countermeasures against the virus.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological disease of young adults. More than 2.3 million people are affected by MS worldwide. Symptoms can vary widely, depending on the localization and amount of the damage induced by combined inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative processes. Although a cure for MS does not currently exist, therapies can help treat MS attacks, attenuate disease activity, reduce progress of the disease, and manage symptoms. Translational Neuroimmunology in Multiple Sclerosis provides an overview of recent findings and knowledge of the neuroimmunology of multiple sclerosis, from experimental models and the human disease to the translation of this research to immunotherapeutic strategies. Chapters describe genetic and environmental factors underlying the disease pathogenesis of MS as a basis for development of immunotherapies, immunological markers of disease activity, pharmacogenetics, and responses to therapy. Immunomodulatory therapies currently in practice and future therapeutic strategies on the horizon-such as neuroprotective strategies, stem cells, and repair promotion-are discussed. Contributed by renowned leaders in the field, this cross-disciplinary volume is a great resource for basic scientists and clinical practitioners in neuroscience, neurology, immunology, pharmacology, and in-drug development.

Leading researchers synthesize scattered experimental data to help develop an intimate understanding of how cytokines and chemokines are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The many chapters offer critical reviews the basic mechanisms controlling cytokine induction and regulation, as well as the resulting production of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, the former of which induces organ-specific autoimmune diseases. From the vantage of these insights, they address the role of cytokines in a wide variety of autoimmune diseases, uvetis, encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, human type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, and myasthenia gravis. Authoritative and state-of-the-art, Cytokines and Autoimmune Disease highlights the enormous therapeutic potential of cytokine modulation in the treatment of autoimmune disease.

Immunochemistry of Solid-Phase Immunoassay fills a niche in the field of immunoassay and immunology. Although solid-phase immunoassay constitutes a major technology in biology and medicine, there is no comprehensive source devoted to the immunochemical principles involved. As a result, this book will benefit students, technicians, and researchers who use this technology, as well as immunodiagnostic and biotech companies who develop the technology. The book is not a methods manual; instead, it incorporates the concepts, data, and opinions of more than 25 investigators working in this field. Topics discussed include: the chemistry of solid-phases, the behavior or antibodies and antigens on solid phases, membrane solid-phases, reaction kinetics, antigen quantitation, enzyme systems, photophysics, immunochemical considerations in data analyses, multianalyte assays and occupancy concepts, antibody quantitation, streptavidin, a review of data analysis software, and solid-phase peptide immunoassay.

Immunology: A Short Course provides an overview of the physiology of the immune system and the pathophysiology of a broad range of immune-mediated diseases, offering accessible and comprehensive guidance to the basic concepts and clinical approaches in the discipline. Now in its eighth edition, this bestselling textbook has been fully updated to reflect our expanded knowledge of how the immune system develops and functions, and the ways in which these physiological phenomena can fail or be compromised. New chapters examine cells and organs of the immune system, organization and expression of lymphocyte antigen receptor genes, experimental systems and methods, and B- and T-cell development activation. Helping students gain an integrated understanding of immunology, this textbook: Offers substantial new and revised material, expanded clinical coverage, enhanced pedagogical features, and updated figures, tables, and references Features recent research advances and therapeutic successes in the field of immunology Includes a companion website containing multiple choice questions, electronic flashcards, downloadable figures, PowerPoint slides, and sample cases Can be supplemented with the Clinical Cases in Immunology companion book The eighth edition of Immunology: A Short Course is an ideal resource for life and health science students, dental and nursing students seeking a short course text, and basic scientists and clinical researchers looking to refresh their knowledge in the subject.

Cytokines and Mental Health explores the relationship between cytokines, neural circuitry and mental health. It is interdisciplinary and "translational," bringing together information that spans the spectrum from the molecular and cellular levels to the patient and the clinic. Content includes chapters that discuss cytokine pathways in the brain, the neurochemical and neuroendocrine effects of cytokines, and the behavioral effects of cytokines including sickness behavior. These chapters in basic research are followed by a more clinical section that discusses the role of cytokines in neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. The book offers different things to different people. It should be of great interest to neuroscientists and immunologists working in the field of psychoneuroimmunology. It would also greatly benefit mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists and clinicians of diverse background who are interested in mind-body medicine.

Vaccination programmes are of vital importance to public health and are present in virtually every country in the world. By promoting an understanding of the diverse effects of vaccination programmes, this textbook discusses how epidemiologic methods can be used to study, in real life, their impacts, benefits and risks. Written by expert practitioners in an accessible and concise style, this book is interspersed with practical examples which allow readers to acquire understanding through real-life data and problems. Part I provides an overview of basic concepts in vaccinology, immunology, vaccination programmes, infectious disease transmission dynamics, the various impacts of vaccination programmes and their societal context. Part II covers the main field tools used for the epidemiological evaluation of vaccination programmes: monitoring coverage and attitudes towards vaccination, surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and pathogens, seroepidemiological studies, methods to assess impact and outbreak investigation. Part III is dedicated to vaccine effectiveness and its assessment. Part IV includes an overview of the potential risks of vaccination and how to study these. Lastly, Part V deals with methods for an integrated assessment of benefits and risks of vaccination programmes. Suitable for professionals working in public health, epidemiology, biology and those working in health economics and vaccine development, Vaccination Programmes also serves as a textbook for postgraduate students in public health, epidemiology and infectious diseases. The book is aimed at all those involved in the many aspects of vaccination programmes, including public health professionals and epidemiologists. Its primary target audiences are master and doctoral students in infectious disease epidemiology and public health, post-doctoral participants of field epidemiology training programmes and public health professionals working in the post-implementation epidemiological evaluation of vaccines and vaccination programmes.

Stem Cell Biology in Health and Disease presents an up-to-date overview about the dual role of stem cells in health and disease. The Editors have drawn together an international team of experts providing chapters which, in this fully-illustrated volume, discuss:

- the controversial debate on the great expectations concerning stem cell based regeneration therapies raised by the pluripotency of various stem cells.
- the advantages and concerns about embryonic stem cells (ES cells), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and adult stem cells, such as bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDCs).
- the type of stem cells, which has become of interest in the past decade, namely so-called cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are now in the focus of cancer research since the eradication of tumour initiating cells would raise the changes of definitely cure cancer.

Professor Dittmar and Professor Zanker have edited a must-read book for researchers and professionals working in the field of regenerative medicine and/or cancer."

This volume of the Handbook of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases series represents a medical collaboration focusing primarily on female aspects of rheumatic diseases. This collaboration recognizes the need to understand and optimally manage the care of women with autoimmune conditions that may affect their reproduction and hormonal status. This handbook will prove useful to clinicians and researchers alike. It covers practical points, ranging from which anti-rheumatic medications are safe in pregnancy to how to counsel women with scleroderma contemplating pregnancy.
* Authors share an academic interest in the unique relationship between being a woman and having an autoimmune disease
* Touches on controversial topics, such as the mechanism of antiphospholipid-related fetal loss and whether or not non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents should be used in pregnancy
* Includes critical and balanced reviews of the controversial association between autoimmune disease and female infertility

Osteoimmunology: Interactions of the Immune and Skeletal Systems, Second Edition, explores the advancements that have been made in the field during the last 40 years, including valuable information on our understanding of the interactions between hematopoietic, immune, and bone cells, now known as the field of osteoimmunology. This comprehensive work offers the most extensive summaries of research trends in the field and their translation into new therapeutics. Early chapters deal with the development of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, hematopoietic stem cells, T and B-lymphocytes, and communications between these cellular elements, while later sections contain discussions of the signaling pathways by which RANKL influences osteoclast development and function. Subsequent chapters explore the effects that estrogen has on bone and the immune system, the development of pathologic conditions, and the growing research around osteoporosis, Paget's disease, the genetics of bone disease, and bone cancer metastasis.

The aim of this volume is to provide a comprehensive description of methods and protocols useful for the further study of T-helper cells. Chapters guide readers through T-helper cell recovery, molecular study, signal transduction pathways, T-cell manipulation and, last but not least, "omic" approaches. 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. Authoritative and cutting-edge, T- Helper Cells: Methods and Protocols aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.

Testing the immunogenicity, protective efficacy and safety in animal models is a crucial step in vaccine development. Pigs raised in germ-free environments, called gnotobiotic (Gn) pigs, are one of the most useful animal models for testing vaccines. The Gn pig model is a widely accepted model for studying pathogenesis and immunity and an ideal model for pre-clinical testing for the safety and efficacy of enteric viral vaccines. Through these studies and others, the Gn pig model has been established as the most reliable animal model for pre-clinical evaluation of human rotavirus and norovirus vaccines. This book provides detailed information on establishing Gn pig models, determining a proper virus inoculum pool and challenge dose, measuring protection and calculating efficacy, and delineating intestinal and systemic immune responses associated with the protection. Key Features Provides a natural history of human rotavirus and norovirus infection in Gn pigs Establishes the optimal virus challenge doses in Gn pigs for vaccine evaluation Evaluates various candidate rotavirus and norovirus vaccines Discusses human gut microbiota transplanted Gn pig models Documents the role of probiotics and rice bran as prophylactics and vaccine adjuvants

Testing the immunogenicity, protective efficacy and safety in animal models is a crucial step in vaccine development. Pigs raised in germ-free environments, called gnotobiotic (Gn) pigs, are one of the most useful animal models for testing vaccines. The Gn pig model is a widely accepted model for studying pathogenesis and immunity and an ideal model for pre-clinical testing for the safety and efficacy of enteric viral vaccines. Through these studies and others, the Gn pig model has been established as the most reliable animal model for pre-clinical evaluation of human rotavirus and norovirus vaccines. This book provides detailed information on establishing Gn pig models, determining a proper virus inoculum pool and challenge dose, measuring protection and calculating efficacy, and delineating intestinal and systemic immune responses associated with the protection. Key Features Provides a natural history of human rotavirus and norovirus infection in Gn pigs Establishes the optimal virus challenge doses in Gn pigs for vaccine evaluation Evaluates various candidate rotavirus and norovirus vaccines Discusses human gut microbiota transplanted Gn pig models Documents the role of probiotics and rice bran as prophylactics and vaccine adjuvants

Chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and others typically stimulate a systemic response of the entire body. This response has a uniform character in many diseases because common pathways are switched on. The uniform response regulates systemic energy and water provision. However, long-term application of this program leads to typical disease sequelae such as fatigue / depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, anorexia, malnutrition, muscle wasting - cachexia, cachectic obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, alterations of steroid hormone axes, disturbances of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, elevated sympathetic tone, hypertension, volume expansion, decreased parasympathetic tone, inflammation-related anemia, bone loss, hypercoagulability, circadian rhythms of symptoms, and disease exacerbation by stress . The Origin of Chronic Inflammatory Systemic Diseases and Their Sequelae demonstrates concepts of neuroendocrine immunology, energy and water regulation, and evolutionary medicine in order to show that the uniform response that regulates systemic energy and water provision, has been positively selected for acute physiological responses and short-lived disease states, but is a misguided program in chronic inflammatory diseases and aging.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. The study of the intestinal ecosystem of bacteria in the human gut-the gut microbiome-is a new field that is rapidly evolving. This book serves as an introduction to some of the new and exciting research that is being done in this field. Included are chapters that examine the following: * Gut microbiome's roles in the pathogenesis of obesity and autoimmune disease * The effect of nutrition on the richness of the microbial community * The stability of the microbiome to various stressors * Emerging ways to diagnose diseases using the microbiome * Exciting prospects for using these microbes to cure disease This easily accessible reference volume offers a comprehensive guide to this relatively new field of study. Edited by a researcher from Yale University, Health and the Gut: The Emerging Role of Intestinal Microbiota in Disease and Therapeutics is an authoritative and easy-to-use reference, ideal for both researchers in the field and those who wish to gain more information about the impact of gut microbiota on human health.

Biotechnology in the Modern Medicinal System: Advances in Gene Therapy, Immunotherapy, and Targeted Drug Delivery presents an informative picture of the state-of-the-art research and development of actionable knowledge in medical biotechnology, specifically involving gene therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug delivery systems. The book includes novel approaches for therapy of various ailments and the real-world challenges and complexities of the current drug delivery methodologies and techniques. The volume helps to bridge the gap between academic research and real-time clinical applications and the needs of medical biotechnology methods. This edited book also provides a detailed application of medical biotechnology in drug discovery and the treatment of various deadly diseases. Chapters discuss targeted drug delivery to specific sites to avoid possible entry to non-targeted sites, minimizing adverse effects. The volume provides information about the roles of alternative routes of drug targeting, like intranasal and transdermal, resulting in improving patient compliance. Targeted drug delivery is explored for several health issues, such as neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, malaria, and hemoglobin disorders. Also considered is the role of genes in various genetic diseases and gene therapy, and immunogene therapy as alternative approaches to conventional cancer therapy. Finally, the book investigates the important role of computers in biotechnology to accelerate research and development in the modern medicinal field for better and optimum results. Studies show that significant improvement has been observed in the development of a faster and less invasive diagnostic system for the treatment of diseases by utilizing both artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology. This valuable volume provides a wealth of information that will be valuable to scientists and researchers, faculty, and students.