The pace and sophistication of advances in medicine in the past two decades have necessitated a growing need for a comprehensive reference that highlights current issues in medicine. Each volume in the Current Issues in Medicine series is a stand-alone text that provides a broad survey of various critical topics-all accomplished in a user-friendly yet interconnected format. The series not only highlights current advances but also explores related topics such as translational medicine, regulatory science, neglected diseases, global pandemics, patent law, immunotoxicology, theranostics, big data, artificial intelligence, novel imaging tools, combination drug products, and novel therapies. While bridging the gap between basic research and clinical medicine, this series provides a thorough understanding of medicine's potential to address health problems from both the patient's and the provider's perspectives in a healthcare setting. The range of topics covered and the expertise of the contributing authors accurately reflect the rapidly evolving areas within medicine-from basic medical sciences to clinical specialties. Each volume is essential reading for physicians, medical students, nurses, fellows, residents, undergraduate and graduate students, educators, policymakers, and biomedical researchers. The multidisciplinary approach of the series makes it a valuable reference resource for the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and governments. However, unlike other series on medicine or medical textbooks, this series focuses on current trends, perspectives, and issues in medicine that are central to healthcare delivery in the 21st century. Volume 2 focuses on the current issues in basic medical sciences, subjects that are fundamental to the practice of medicine. Specifically, it discusses clinical immunology, medical microbiology, COVID-19, and big data. These subjects, traditionally taught in the first two years of medical school that precede clinical instruction, provide a core of basic knowledge critical to the success in clinical medicine during rotations, training, and medical practice.

Immunoendocrinology is a rapidly developing field of research that seeks to understand the intersection of the immune and endocrine systems. Immunoendocrinology: Scientific and Clinical Aspects explores in detail the current knowledge of immunoendocrinology, namely endocrine disorders produced by disorders of immune function. Chapters cover both basic pathophysiology informed by studies of animal models as well as current understanding of multiple related clinical diseases-their pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy. Immunoendocrinology: Scientific and Clinical Aspects captures the central role of immunoendocrinologic processes in the pathogenesis of not only type 1 diabetes but in a range of other autoimmune and endocrine disorders.

This edited volume provides insights about the molecular virology, pathoenesis of infection and host responses to varicella-zoster virus, which is a medically important human herpesvirus. The chapters not only discuss genetics and molecular evolution of the virus, but also new structure-based knowledge on the functions of viral glycoproteins. Further, the authors illustrate how mechanisms from the virus are used to take over and remodel host cells during pathogeneis. These mechanisms also enable viral modulation of host cells and evasion of the host immune response. Part of these evasion and survival strategies, is the reaction to triggered host cell responses like autophagy, the stress response, modulation of apoptosis and other cell death pathways. This hands-on knowledge is crucial for students and clinicians in Virology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases. Chapter "Common features between stroke following varicella in children and stroke following herpes zoster in adults" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via Springerlink.com.

"Molecular Biology of B Cells, Second Edition" is a comprehensive reference to how B cells are generated, selected, activated and engaged in antibody production.All of these developmental and stimulatory processes are described in molecular, immunological, and genetic terms to give a clear understanding of complex phenotypes.

"Molecular Biology of B Cells, Second Edition" offers an integrated view of all aspects of B cells to produce a normal immune response as a constant, and the molecular basis of numerous diseases due to B cell abnormality. The new edition continues its success with updated research on microRNAs in B cell development and immunity, new developments in understanding lymphoma biology, and therapeutic targeting of B cells for clinical application. With updated research and continued comprehensive coverage of all aspects of B cell biology, "Molecular Biology of B Cells, Second Edition" is the definitive resource, vital for researchers across molecular biology, immunology and genetics.
Covers signaling mechanisms regulating B cell differentiationProvides information on the development of therapeutics using monoclonal antibodies and clinical application of AbContains studies on B cell tumors from various stages of B lymphocytesOffers an integrated view of all aspects of B cells to produce a normal immune response"

Roitt's Essential Immunology - the textbook of choice for students and instructors of immunology worldwide Roitt s Essential Immunology clearly explains the key principles needed by medical and health sciences students, from the basis of immunity to clinical applications. A brand new introduction sets the scene to section 1, Fundamentals of Immunology, introducing the microbial world and the strategies the body employs to defend itself. Each chapter then guides the reader through a different part of the immune system, and explains the role of each cell or molecule individually, and then as a whole. Section 2, Applied Immunology, discusses what happens when things go wrong, and the role the immune system plays alongside the damaging effects of a disease, including cancer, immunodeficiency, allergies and transplantation and the beneficial effects of vaccines. The 13th edition continues to be a user-friendly and engaging introduction to the workings of the immune system, whilst supporting those who require a slightly more detailed understanding of the key developments in immunology. The content has been fully updated throughout and includes: * An expansion on key clinical topics, including: innate immunity, autoimmune conditions, asthma, primary immunodeficiency, and HIV/AIDS * Beautifully presented with improved artwork and new illustrations * A range of learning features, including introduction re-cap boxes, end of chapter and section summaries to aid revision, as well as further reading suggestions, and a glossary to explain the most important immunology terms. Roitt's Essential Immunology is also supported by a companion website at www.roitt.com including: * An additional online only chapter on immunological methods and applications * Further interactive multiple choice and single best answer questions for each chapter * Animations and videos showing key concepts * Fully downloadable figures and illustrations, further reading and useful links * Updated extracts from the Encyclopaedia of Life Sciences * Podcasts to reinforce the key principles explained in the text

This contemporary book covers significant new knowledge that has emerged during the last two decades and, thus, provides novel antibody phylogenetic perspectives relevant to development of new antibody-based therapeutics and vaccines. It fills a much-needed niche in the area of immunoglobulin genetics across species from a comparative perspective. New insights and perspectives from immunoglobulin genetics from species such as sea lamprey, cattle, marsupial, bat, rat, rabbit, and swine other species than the traditional subjects of mice and humans are relevant to antibody design and engineering. These new perspectives find direct application in the cutting-edge areas of antibody design, engineering and therapeutics, antibody-drug conjugates, and novel antibody-based vaccines. This book fills the need to provide updated knowledge of this newly exploded area that is finding applications in new drug development. No other competing books on the topic are available in the market. The book will be of great interest to immunologists, immunology researchers, immunogeneticists, researchers in pharmaceutical science, those involved in the infectious disease and antibody therapeutics areas, and many others."

This issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics, edited by Dr. Cem Akin, is devoted to Mastocytosis.? Articles in this issue include Human Mast Cell Signal Transduction; Mast cell tryptase role in homeostasis and coagulation; Mastocytosis: Current Classification and Diagnostic criteria; Epidemiology, risk factors and prognosis of mastocytosis; Mast cell sarcoma: Clinical management; Molecular defects in mastocytosis: c-kit mutations and beyond; Flow cytometry in mastocytosis: Utility as a diagnostic and prognostic tool; Morphology of mastocytosis with special reference to immunophenotypical aberrancies; CD30 expression in mastocytosis; Extramedullary mastocytosis: Pathologic aspects; Bone involvement and osteoporosis in mastocytosis; Drug allergy in mastocytosis; Eosinophilia in mastocytosis; Venom allergy and mastocytosis; Skin disease in mastocytosis; Treatment of advanced mastocytosis; Treatment strategies of mediator related symptoms in mastocytosis; and Neuro and psychological involvement in Mastocytosis.

With globalisation taking centre stage in the business world and multiculturalism affecting markets and societies, there is a need to understand the ways that customers respond to the changing marketplace from international and multicultural perspectives. This book is timely in addressing important themes raised in the most recent marketing literature, such as: global consumer culture, and the impact of Western culture on consumer behaviour in other countries; consumer acculturation processes, and the impact on identity conflicts and the strategies people use to manage them; globalisation vs. localised strategies, and the interaction of local and global influences on customer behaviour; climate change and global warming, the impact on consumer behaviour, and the implications for social responsibility; and cross-cultural customer research, including important methodological questions around the application of sociological, group-level measures to psychological, individual-level phenomenon in marketing contexts. The papers in this edition address those themes, reporting on studies from a range of countries, including Germany, Greece, China, and Austria, and a number of cultural groups in the UK. These papers draw on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, reflecting the full range of methods employed in contemporary consumer research.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Marketing Management.

Many pathogens and aberrant malignant cells express unique carbohydrates on their surface representing attractive targets for vaccine design. Considerable progress has recently been made in the identification of novel carbohydrate based vaccines and a large number has reached clinical phase studies. The success of several licensed carbohydrate based vaccines against bacterial pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitidis or Streptococcus pneumoniae demonstrates their great potential. However, the study of anti-carbohydrate antibodies is technically challenging and partly because of low affinities and promiscuous specificity they have not been medically exploited to full potential. The study of antibody specificities and identification of protective carbohydrate epitopes lies at the heart of successful vaccine design. In addition to therapy, antibodies in general serve as diagnostic tools in medical and scientific laboratories. In this setting high affinity and exquisite specificity are important factors for their successful use. "Anticarbohydrate Antibodies - from molecular basis to clinical application" compiles current knowledge on the immunological recognition of carbohydrates by the adaptive immune system from a molecular perspective providing fundamental insight needed for advancing clinically relevant diagnostics and therapeutic applications. Based on significant progress in the fields of glycoimmunology and structural biology in recent years, the book comprehensively reviews the state-of-the-art in defining the key elements of carbohydrate recognition by antibodies, the molecular mimicry of carbohydrate epitopes as well as the molecular features leading to specific and relaxed binding modes. Backed-up by a combination of modern technologies to elucidate structural details of carbohydrate-antibody interactions, biomedically important carbohydrate antigens from viral, bacterial, parasite, insect and tumor cells have been analyzed in in-depth reviews written by well-known experts in the field. Fundamental knowledge of these molecular mechanisms eventually provides a rational basis to improve efficacy of carbohydrate-based vaccines and to further refine diagnostic tools in detection of pathogens and malignant cells.

Key Features * Serves as a handy, practical reference guide to immunologic and allergic diseases both for patient care and as a study guide for examinations * Summarizes the clinical information in the field to make it easily accessible and user friendly for clinicians and students * Includes a unique section on the management of the disorder in pregnant women at the end of several chapters.

Autoimmune Reactions tackles fundamental questions about how the immune system can destroy invading microbial pathogens without causing damage to itself and other "self" systems. The authoritative experts writing here explore the mechanistic aspects of such autoimmune diseases as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and autoimmune thyroid disease, and where possible delineate how malfunctioning immunological mechanisms can lead to clinical symptoms. They also discusses possible general mechanisms of autoimmune disease-e.g., molecular mimicry and dysfunctional antigen presentation-and their current limitations as unifying explanations of the diseases described. The book illustrates the type of thinking and research that should eventually permit development of palliatives and cures for autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the occurrence of antibodies reacting with self-constituents of the body. The fully updated third edition of "Autoantibodies" is an in-depth review of the main autoantibodies identified up to now, with particular emphasis on those that display a diagnostic or prognostic clinical value.

The new edition covers recent scientific advances, diagnostic techniques, and therapeutic technologies. Each chapter is focused on a single family of autoantibodies. This important reference contains historical notes, definitions, origins and sources of antigens recognized genetic associations, mediated pathogenic mechanisms, methods of detection, as well as clinical utility (disease prevalence and association, diagnostic value, sensitivity and specificity, prognostic value). This is an ideal reference for anyone involved in the field of autoimmune diseases.
Presents all known, important autoantibodies in a single source, focusing on the antibodies needed for autoimmune disorder diagnosisIncludes clinical applications for each autoantibody along with general informationOrganized by disease and disorder type, by autoantibody family, and completely cross-referenced

The perfect balance of theory and practice! Here's the practical introduction you need to understand the essential theoretical principles of clinical immunology and the serological and molecular techniques commonly used in the laboratory. You'll begin with an introduction to the immune system; then explore basic immunologic procedures; examine immune disorders; and study the serological and molecular diagnosis of infectious disease. An easy-to-read, student-friendly approach emphasizes the direct application of theory to clinical laboratory practice. Each chapter is a complete learning module with learning outcomes, chapter outlines, theoretical principles, illustrations, and definitions of relevant terminology. Review questions and case studies help you assess your mastery of the material. A glossary at the end of the book puts must-know information at your fingertips. An access code inside new printed texts unlocks Lab Exercises and Branching Case Studies online at FADavis.com that offer more opportunities to apply theory to clinical laboratory practice.

Written by international experts, this book reviews recent, cutting-edge research on the use of immunoregulatory probiotics (immunobiotics) and their bioactive compounds (immunogenics) to prevent disease and improve health. Each chapter provides critical insight, reviews current research, discusses future perspective, and stimulates discussion. The book also dicsusses novel applications of immunobiotics, such as their use in respiratory infections and regulation of the interaction between inflammation and coagulation, as well as their effect on hematopoiesis.

This book summarizes the state-of-the art in the development of T cell-based "in vitro" assays, which offer useful tools for hazard identification, risk assessment and improvement of diagnostics. It will be of interest to scientists, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, and regulators involved in the replacement of animal testing methods.

The identification of hazardous chemicals and drugs is essential to ensuring human health. The ban on animal testing for the cosmetics industry since 2009 and international efforts to reduce and replace animal testing in research and immunotoxicology call for alternative "in vitro" methods. The most specific immune response to chemicals and drugs that cause allergic contact dermatitis, respiratory disease and adverse drug reactions is the highly antigen-specific T lymphocyte response. Therefore the use of T cells as tools for identifying contact allergens and drugs that may cause health problems is of great interest.

There has been major growth in understanding immune suppression mechanisms and its relationship to cancer progression and therapy. This book highlights emerging new principles of immune suppression that drive cancer, and it offers radically new ideas about how therapy can be improved by attacking these principles. Following work that firmly establishes immune escape as an essential trait of cancer, recent studies have now defined specific mechanisms of tumor immune suppression. It also demonstrates how attacking tumors with molecular targeted therapeutics or traditional chemotherapeutic drugs can produce potent anti-tumor effects in preclinical models. This book provides basic, translational, and clinical cancer researchers with an indispensable overview of immune escape as a critical trait in cancer and how applying specific combinations of immunotherapy and chemotherapy to attack this trait may radically improve the treatment of advanced disease.
Offers a synthesis of concepts that are useful to cancer immunologists and pharmacologists, who tend to work in disparate fields with little cross-communication Drs. Prendergast and Jaffee are internationally recognized leaders in cancer biology and immunology who have created a unique synthesis of fundamental and applied concepts in this important new area of cancer research Summarizes the latest insights into how immune escape defines an essential trait of cancer Includes numerous illustrations, including how molecular-targeted therapeutic drugs or traditional chemotherapy can be combined with immunotherapy to improve anti-tumor efficacy and how reversing immune suppression by the tumor can cause tumor regression

Perfect for clinicians in both primary and secondary care settings, Allergy Essentials, 2nd Edition, covers the information you need most in your daily practice, with a strong emphasis on disease diagnosis and management. In one concise, convenient volume, it covers all common allergies in children and adults, offering authoritative content from the world's leading allergy experts in conjunction with primary care/family practitioners for a practical, balanced approach. You'll find up-to-date information on everything from basic immunology and physiology to new medications, new therapies, and individualized treatment options, allowing you to confidently integrate these changes into your practice. Offers a practical approach to evaluation, differential diagnosis, and treatment of allergic disorders, focused specifically on what the non-specialist needs to know for everyday practice. Includes new content on allergen-specific immunotherapy as well as a new chapter on precision medicine. Covers the most recent allergy tests, including blood tests, and includes current discussions of biologicals as therapeutics. Provides focused, relevant information on basic immunology and physiology, epidemiology, and allergens. Begins each chapter with a handy summary of key concepts to help you quickly identify important information. Authored by the same internationally recognized experts that produce Middleton's Allergy, the definitive text in the field. An ideal resource for primary care providers who are increasingly seeing and treating patients with allergic conditions as well as allergists who need a concise and current practice reference. Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

With globalisation taking centre stage in the business world and multiculturalism affecting markets and societies, there is a need to understand the ways that customers respond to the changing marketplace from international and multicultural perspectives. This book is timely in addressing important themes raised in the most recent marketing literature, such as: global consumer culture, and the impact of Western culture on consumer behaviour in other countries; consumer acculturation processes, and the impact on identity conflicts and the strategies people use to manage them; globalisation vs. localised strategies, and the interaction of local and global influences on customer behaviour; climate change and global warming, the impact on consumer behaviour, and the implications for social responsibility; and cross-cultural customer research, including important methodological questions around the application of sociological, group-level measures to psychological, individual-level phenomenon in marketing contexts. The papers in this edition address those themes, reporting on studies from a range of countries, including Germany, Greece, China, and Austria, and a number of cultural groups in the UK. These papers draw on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, reflecting the full range of methods employed in contemporary consumer research. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Marketing Management.

How early studies of inflammation led to our current views on the roles of vascular adhesion molecules.- Adhesion of leukocytes from flow: The selectins and their ligands.- Co-operative signaling between leukocytes and endothelium mediating firm attachment.- Production and presentation of chemokines by endothelial cells.- Platelet-activating factor: A signaling molecule for leukocyte adhesion.- Tight junctions and adherens junctions in endothelial cells: Structure and regulation.- The role of PECAM in leukocyte emigration.- Selective lymphocyte migration into secondary lymphoid rrgans and inflamed tissues.- Oxidation-reduction sensitive regulation of vascular inflammatory gene expression.- Quantification and imaging of vascular adhesion molecule expression in inflammatory diseases in vivo.- Leukocyte adhesion and activation in xenografts.- Control of leukocyte adhesion and activation in ischemia-reperfusion injury.- Control of leukocyte adhesion and activation in atherogenesis.

Immune responses at mucosal surfaces play a major role in host mucosal defense against microbial pathogens and in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic mucosal inflammatory diseases. immunogenetic approaches in combination with human and murine in vitro cell culture and in vivo model systems to address questions in mucosal immunity. Humans produce more immunoglobulin A (IgA) than all other antibody isotypes combined, most of which is rapidly transported into the external secretions bathing mucous membranes. It has been estimated that more than 3 grams of IgA are transported daily into mucosal secretions, carrying out a wide range of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory functions. IgA is the second most abundant class of antibody in the bloodstream, contributing to systemic as well as secretory immunity. Recent advances in human genomics, gene regulation, structural biology, cell signaling, and immunobiology have greatly enhanced our understanding of this important class of antibody. knowledge of the biology of IgA, including structure of IgA and its interaction with Fc receptors; epithelial transport of IgA; regulation of the mucosal IgA system; biological roles of IgA, including newly discovered functions; IgA-associated diseases, and therapeutic applications for IgA. Chapters have been contributed by internationally recognized leaders in the field of IgA research, representing 8 countries on 3 continents.

Immunology: An Illustrated Outline is both a guide to the essential principles of immunology and a concise dictionary of immunological terms. The book can be used to consolidate understanding in preparation for course exams and medical licensing exams, or as a refresher when immunology is encountered in related life sciences, such as microbiology, virology, and zoology. The book is organized into five sections that represent the major topics in basic and clinical immunology. The Sixth Edition has been comprehensively revised to highlight the latest understanding of the field, particularly in the areas of innate immune defenses and antibody-based therapeutics. Concise explanations of immunological terms Full-color illustrations and micrographs to reinforce the text Each topic is set out in single- or double-page spreads Tables collate and summarize detailed information

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.

One hundred years have elapsed since specific allergen immunotherapy (SIT) was first employed and found to be effective in the treatment of allergic respiratory diseases. This cutting-edge issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics offers a comprehensive review of this disease modifying treatment, exploring its history, status, and potential future. Topics covered include the mechanisms of subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy; the mechanisms of sublingual immunotherapy; optimizing efficacy of subcutaneous immunotherapy; preparation of allergen immunotherapy extraxcts; risk factors and subcutaneous immunotherapy safety; accelerated schedules and reducing risk with premedication (antihistamines, omalizumab, leucotriene antagonist); safety and efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy for allergic respiratory disease and other indications; monitoring clinical outcomes of specific immunotherapy; monitoring immunotherapy response with immunological parameters; socioeconomics and comparative effectiveness of immunotherapy; oral desensitization for food hypersensitivity; peptide and recombinant immunotherapy; intralymphatic and epicutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy; peptide and recombinant immunotherapy; adjuvants and vector systems for allergy faccines; and future forms of immunotherapy.

T cells play a vital role mediating adaptive immunity, a specific acquired resistance to an infectious agent produced by the introduction of an antigen. There are a variety of T cell types with different functions. They are called T cells, because they are derived from the thymus gland. This volume discusses how T cells are regulated through the operation of signaling mechanisms. Topics covered include positive and negative selection, early events in T cell receptor engagement, and various T cell subsets.