This book provides a comprehensive review of the structure, function and pathophysiology of the pulmonary vasculature. Emerging evidence reveals the multifaceted roles played by the pulmonary vasculature. To reflect those roles, the individual chapters address topics ranging from pulmonary blood vessel development to vascular endothelial apoptosis, and delve deeply into our current understanding of various aspects of the pulmonary vasculature.

A comprehensive overview of the effects of trichloroethylene toxicity caused by real-life exposure levels highlighting how exposure to trichloroethylene may contribute to the etiology of several idiopathic human diseases. Discussion will focus on different kinds of modeling and how they may be used to predict functional consequences and to dissect the contribution of different mechanistic pathways, including potential mechanisms of action for trichloroethylene toxicity in different organ systems. It will explore the role of epigenetic alterations in trichloroethylene toxicity, this provides important mechanistic information and may also provide the basis for intervention therapy. Chapters will also explain how the risks from trichloroethylene exposure may be greater in certain populations based on genetic predisposition, age of exposure and co-exposure to other chemicals With contributions from international experts in the field, Trichloroethylene: Toxicity and Health Risks is an essential resource for researchers and clinicians in toxicology, immunology, medicine and public health as well as industry and government regulatory scientists involved in safety and health protection and epidemiologists, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary cooperation in solving issues of environmental toxicity.

After decades of research in clinical transplantation, new techniques have been developed that permit a further understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying immune recognition of allografts and a more accurate and thorough evaluation of compatibility between donors and recipients. The second edition of Transplantation Immunology: Methods and Protocols expands upon the previous edition with current, detailed methods in transplantation immunology. The new methods chapters cover four major areas that are being applied in compatibility evaluations and ongoing transplantation immunology research. Seven overview chapters provide reviews of the molecular basis for alloreactivity, current understanding of humoral and cellular mechanisms, as well as new developments in thoracic organ transplantation, composite tissue transplantation and in the transplantation of sensitized patients. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Transplantation Immunology: Methods and Protocol, Second Edition is devoted to transplantation immunology, both in the practice of compatibility testing and in transplantation research.

Providing current diverse approaches and techniques used to study the immunoproteome, Immunoproteomics: Methods and Protocols collects chapters from key researchers that deliver information to be used in diagnostics, disease progression, and vaccine correlates of protection analysis, to name but a few. This detailed volume includes techniques used for the study of the antibody targets of bacterial pathogens, viruses, and cancer, mass spectrometry-based approaches to characterize T-cell epitopes, chapters on detection and relative quantification of cytokines in serum, as well as in silico prediction of epitopes using sequence-based or modeling 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. Practical and thorough, Immunoproteomics: Methods and Protocols aids researchers in transferring these techniques to their own laboratories in addition to providing a reference to guide researchers toward appropriate techniques.

Monoclonal Antibodies: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition expands upon the previous edition with current, detailed modern approaches to isolate and characterize monoclonal antibodies against carefully selected epitopes. This edition includes new chapters covering the key steps to generate high quality monoclonals via different methods, from antigen generation to epitope mapping and quality control of the purified IgG. Chapters are divided into four parts corresponding to four distinct objectives. Part I covers monoclonal antibody generation, Part II deals with monoclonal antibody expression and purification, Part III presents methods for monoclonal antibody characterization and modification, and Part IV describes selected applications of monoclonal antibodies. 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 practical, Monoclonal Antibodies: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition provides crucial initial steps of monoclonal antibody generation and characterization with state-of-the art protocols.

Malaria remains an alarming emergency in developing countries. It is thus urgent to identify any parasite or host molecules that can serve as new affordable markers for early diagnosis of disease complications or as new targets for vector control. In this context, human and mosquito lysozymes are good candidate molecules, as their involvement in malaria has been recently reported by several independent groups. This book reviews the grounded knowledge on malaria etiology and physiopathology, as well as the current approaches for diagnosis, therapy, and vector control. In addition, the emerging evidence on the involvement of human and mosquito lysozymes in malaria from available experimental models and clinical studies is thoroughly discussed, as is the potential use of other antimicrobial peptides against malaria. Intriguingly, the contributors propose that old well-known molecules such as lysozymes might be used as new targets for cost-effective strategies to fight malaria.

Behcet's syndrome can reasonably be considered a unique entity among diseases of the immune system for several reasons: It has specific features and, uniquely among the immune system pathologies, represents a link between autoimmune diseases, systemic vasculitis, and autoinflammatory diseases. In addition, it is of interest to a variety of specialists, including immunologists, rheumatologists, dermatologists, and ophthalmologists, and requires a complex multidisciplinary approach. Many aspects need to be considered in a syndrome that presents a wide spectrum of symptoms and for which the therapeutic armamentarium is expanding significantly, with the development of new treatments, not least the so-called biologics. This book offers comprehensive coverage of the disease by some of the world's leading experts in Behcet's syndrome from all the relevant specialties. Epidemiology, genetics, pathogenesis, organ system involvement, differential diagnosis, novel treatments, surgical management, and prognosis are just some of the topics addressed. Behcet's Syndrome: From Pathogenesis to Treatment will be an invaluable reference for a range of practitioners, researchers, and undergraduates or postgraduates interested in immuno-rheumatology, dermatology, and rare diseases.

Over the last half century, a dramatic increase in allergic diseases has been observed throughout industrialized nations, which has resulted in significant worldwide socio-economic challenges. In Mouse Models of Allergic Disease: Methods and Protocols, a wide range of expert contributors provide detailed protocols for the design and execution of experiments to thoroughly analyze critical elements associated with a diverse range of allergic diseases, all through the lens of mouse models that accurately recapitulate clinically relevant aspects of the respective human disease. The volume opens with a section featuring techniques essential for effective ex vivo cell isolation and evaluation of specific cell types relevant to a diverse range of allergic diseases, and the book then moves on to cover in vivo protocols to evaluate prevalent mouse models of human allergic diseases, including mouse models of systemic anaphylaxis, contact hypersensitivity, allergic rhinitis, and asthma, as well as a collection of chapters on in vivo and ex vivo protocols used to assess indirect mediators of allergic diseases, such as the nervous system, non-hematopoietic cells, and the composition of the gut microbiome. Written in 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. Timely and authoritative, Mouse Models of Allergic Disease: Methods and Protocols serves as an essential collection of protocols that allow both novice and expert researchers the ability to accurately develop, evaluate, and characterize the mechanisms associated with these disorders.

Recent advances in understanding of fundamental immunology have created new insights into the dynamic interactions between tumors and the immune system. This includes new understanding of T- and B-cell interaction, immune inhibitory mechanisms including the biology of T regulatory cells, myeloid suppressor cells, and dendritic cell subsets. Enhanced understanding of mechanisms underlying T-cell anergy such as arginine deprivation, immunosuppressive cytokines, defective innate and interferon response pathways, and NKG2D downregulation have all provided new insight into suppression of anti-tumor immunity and tumor evasion. In addition to emerging understanding of tumor evasion, new immune targets such as CTLA4 blockade, NK stimulatory receptors, manipulation of the antigen processing and presentation, cytokine and costimulatory responses all provide new possibilities for enhancing anti-tumor immunity even in tumors previously felt to be resistant to immune attack. Several of these strategies have already been realized in the clinic. The volume will explore evolving paradigms in antigen presentation, dendritic cell biology, the innate response and immunosuppressive mechanisms, and emerging strategies for manipulation of the immune system for therapeutic benefit that have realized success in neuroblastoma, leukemia, melanoma, lung cancer, and allogeneic transplantation. Early successes as well as failures will be highlighted to provide a snapshot of the state of clinical immunotherapy with an eye to future possibilities such as combination therapies, adoptive T-cell transfer, and the retargeting of immune cells via T-cell receptor engineering.

This volume gathers the latest exciting findings on ADP-ribosylation from renowned experts in the field. It includes ten chapters, organized into the following three thematic sections: ·   Evolution and detection of endogenous ADP-ribosylation ·   ADP-ribosylation by the ARTC family of ADP-ribosyltransferases (R-S-E ARTs) ·   ADP-ribosylation by the ARTD family of ADP-ribosyltransferases (H-Y-E ARTs) The book will provide readers a better understanding of ADP-ribosylating toxins and their endogenous relatives. This provides a basis for developing novel toxin-neutralizing drugs and drugs targeting endogenous ADP-ribosyltransferase relatives.

Complement Systems: Methods and Protocols is composed of 32 individual chapters that describe a variety of protocols to purify and analyze the activity of the individual complement components or pathways. It includes assays that describe detection of complement SNPs, clinical methods to evaluate complement system activation and data interpretation. 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 practical, Complement Systems: Methods and Protocols provides a collection of well-established "classical" assays and recently developed "new" assays to analyze the complement system activation will be useful to a wide audience of scientists.

Human Retroviruses: Methods and Protocols collects key experimental protocols that have provided the basis of the major discoveries of the field. Split into five sections, this detailed volume covers mapping of the HIV life cycle, isolation, co-receptor use, and cell tropism of HIV-1, in vivo quantification of HIV-1, biological aspects of HIV-1, as well as HTLVs. Some articles explore "assay and function of accessory genes", largely involving the interface between retroviral and host factors, the extracellular role of Tat and Tax, resembling the function of cytokines, and the biotechnological exploitation of HIV as lentiviral vector to carry foreign genes with therapeutic value. 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. Comprehensive and authoritative, Human Retroviruses: Methods and Protocols provides state-of-art methodological protocols from world leaders in human retrovirology, essential for any lab working this vital field.

This two-volume work covers the molecular and cell biology, genetics and evolution of influenza viruses, the pathogenesis of infection, resultant host innate and adaptive immune response, prevention of infection through vaccination and approaches to the therapeutic control of infection.. Experts at the forefront of these areas provide critical assessments with regard to influenza virology, immunology, cell and molecular biology, and pathogenesis. Volume I provides overviews of the latest findings on molecular determinants of viral pathogenicity, virus entry and cell tropism, pandemic risk assessment, transmission and pathogenesis in animal species, viral evolution, ecology and antigenic variation, while Volume II focuses on the role of innate and adaptive immunity in pathogenesis, development of vaccines and antivirals. 

A host of neurotransmitters and neuroactive substances underlies respiratory regulation in health and disease. The centerpiece of investigations regarding adaptation to hypoxia and sensorial perception has been the dopaminergic system. It is now clear that a complex interaction among various neuroactive substances, rather than a single one, forms the basis of respiratory changes. The research on neurotransmitter interactions provides the knowledge of how the brain functions and a new level of understanding of mind-to-body connection, which opens up avenues for novel therapeutic interventions.

Immuno Systems Biology aims to study the immune system in the more integrated manner on how cells and molecules participate at different system levels to the immune function. Through this book Kumar Selvarajoo introduces to physicists, chemists, computer scientists, biologists and immunologists the idea of an integrated approach to the understanding of mammalian immune system. Geared towards a researcher with limited immunological and computational analytical experience, the book provides a broad overview to the subject and some instruction in basic computational, theoretical and experimental approaches. The book links complex immunological processes with computational analysis and emphasizes the importance of immunology to the mammalian system.

Cytokines are pleiotropic regulatory proteins involved in essentially all biological processes and associated with a wide variety of diseases, including inflammatory disorders as well as many types of cancer and leukemia. Knowledge about the quantitative and qualitative nature of cytokine production is critical in the understanding of normal and pathological processes. The cytokine detection in biological and clinical samples faces many challenges including their low abundance, the need to distinguish between active and latent cytokine forms, and the need to measure multiple cytokines in a single assay. This volume will provide a comprehensive collection of classic and cutting-edge methodologies that are currently used to analyze and quantify cytokines and their biological activities in complex biological and clinical samples. The chapters are divided into four main categories. The first group focuses on the immunodetection of released cytokines in tissue culture supernatants, plasma, serum and whole blood samples by immunoassays. These immunoassays measure the total concentrations of released cytokines regardless of their biological activity and include ELISA, flow cytometry, ELISPOT and the antibody-based proximity ligation. The second group will focus on the analysis of biologically active cytokines by bioassays using neutralizing antibodies, chemotaxis assay, cytokine-induced cell degranulation assay, cell proliferation and differentiation, cytokine-induced cytokine production and the radioreceptor cytokine assay. The third group focuses on the analysis of intracellular cytokines by flow cytometry, western blotting and fluorescence and confocal microscopy. In addition, this category includes protocols for quantitative analysis of cytokine gene expression by real time RT-PCR and analysis of the cytokine promoter occupancy by chromatin immunoprecipitation. The fourth group focuses on the recently developed multiplex arrays that can measure multiple cytokines in the same sample at the same time. This group includes quantification of multiple cytokines using cytometric bead arrays, ELISPOT assays, proteomics cytokine evaluation, multiplexed proximity ligation assays for high-throughput cytokine analysis and finally, cytokine gene expression analysis by gene arrays. The protocols will be written by experienced basic and clinical researchers with hands-on knowledge of the described protocols. By covering a broad variety of methods used in cytokine detection and analysis, this book will be of interest not only to biochemists, molecular biologists and immunologists but also to physician-scientists working in the field of cytokine research.

This book guides the reader through the latest research on the cytokine network, covering signaling pathways, control of the immune response, and potential therapeutics. Different cytokines stimulate diverse responses in various phases of inflammation and immunity, including the innate immune response, the generation of effector T cells, and the development of antibodies by the humoral immune system. It is now clear that the pathophysiology of many infectious, autoimmune, allergic, and malignant diseases can be largely explained by which cytokines are induced and subsequently regulate the cellular responses. In clinical medicine, cytokines are involved in a wide spectrum of diseases. This book describes in three parts the properties and roles of 15 key cytokines under physiological and pathological conditions. Part I presents nine cytokines associated with inflammatory disorders, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the recently identified new helper T (Th) subset: Th17 cells. Part II gives details of three cytokines associated with allergic disorders, including Th2 responses and recently identified types of innate cells. Part III describes three cytokines that are associated with immunological tolerance and anti-inflammation, including regulatory T (Treg) cells, IL-10-producing Treg (Tr1) cells, and inducible IL-35-producing Treg (iTr35) cells. Cytokines are considered to be important as therapeutic targets for specific agonists or antagonists in numerous immune and inflammatory diseases. The ultimate goal of this book is to facilitate the development of therapeutic treatments for such diseases which has been limited by an insufficient understanding of the biology of cytokines and the complicated network that they create.

This volume provides a state-of-the-art update on Fc Receptors (FcRs). It is divided into five parts. Part I, Old and New FcRs, deals with the long-sought-after FcµR and the recently discovered FCRL family and TRIM21. Part II, FcR Signaling, presents a computational model of FcεRI signaling, novel calcium channels, and the lipid phosphatase SHIP1. Part III, FcR Biology, addresses major physiological functions of FcRs, their glycosylation, how they induce and regulate both adaptive immune responses and inflammation, especially in vivo, FcR humanized mice, and the multifaceted properties of FcRn. Part IV, FcRs and Disease, discusses FcR polymorphism, FcRs in rheumatoid arthritis and whether their FcRs make macaques good models for studying HIV infection. In Part V, FcRs and Therapeutic Antibodies, the roles of various FcRs, including FcγRIIB and FcαRI, in the immunotherapy of cancer and autoimmune diseases using monoclonal antibodies and IVIg are highlighted. All 18 chapters were written by respected experts in their fields, offering an invaluable reference source for scientists and clinicians interested in FcRs and how to better master antibodies for therapeutic purposes.

This Methods in Molecular Biology book offers methods for studying inflammasome function, including generation of inflammasome stimuli, monitoring of caspase-1 activity and processing, activation of IL-1 cytokines, plus lab protocols, material lists and tips.

Vaccines are among modern medicine's greatest triumphs, but popular misunderstandings about vaccines and the communicable diseases they prevent threaten to undo more than a century's worth of progress in public health. Pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, OB/GYN physicians, internists, and family practitioners thus must make patient education about vaccines a routine part of preventative care. THE VACCINE HANDBOOK is a one-stop resource for clinicians whose practices involve administering vaccines. At-a-glance immunization schedules, scripts for addressing patient concerns, and frequently asked questions at the end of each section prepare practitioners to meet challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, correct dosing, and the timing of "catch-up" immunizations with confidence. Covering every clinical scenario from routine childhood immunizations to specialty vaccines for international travel, THE VACCINE HANDBOOK is an essential reference for any preventive care provider. FEATURES * Charts and tables summarizing immunization schedules, proper dosing and storage, and contraindications for commonly used vaccines for quick and easy reference * Vaccination guidelines tailored to special circumstances such as pregnancy, international travel, patients' immunization history, and workplace hazards * Patient education tools including links to reliable online resources and strategies for framing discussions about the benefit of vaccination

Victor P. Bulgakov, Yuri N. Shkryl, Galina N. Veremeichik, Tatiana Y. Gorpenchenko and Yuliya V. Vereshchagina: Recent Advances in the Understanding of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Derived Genes and Their Effects on Stress Resistance and Plant Metabolism. Le Zhao, Guy W. Sander and Jacqueline V. Shanks: Perspectives of the Metabolic Engineering of Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus Hairy Roots. Jian Wen Wang and Jian Yong Wu: Effective Elicitors and Process Strategies for Enhancement of Secondary Metabolite Production in Hairy Root Cultures. Amanda R. Stiles and Chun-Zhao Liu: Hairy Root Culture: Bioreactor Design and Process Intensification. Marina Skarjinskaia, Karen Ruby, Adriana Araujo, Karina Taylor, Vengadesan Gopalasamy-Raju, Konstantin Musiychuk, Jessica A. Chichester, Gene A. Palmer, Patricia de la Rosa, Vadim Mett, Natalia Ugulava, Stephen J. Streatfield and Vidadi Yusibov: Hairy Roots as a Vaccine Production and Delivery System. Zahwa Al-Shalabi and Pauline M. Doran: Metal Uptake and Nanoparticle Synthesis in Hairy Root Cultures.

Insights into the regulation of immune cell lineage differentiation and specification as well as into the control of lineage integrity, stability and plasticity are of fundamental importance to understanding innate and adaptive immune responses. In this volume, leading experts provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of recent advances in the transcriptional control mechanisms and transcription factor networks that regulate these processes in a variety of different immune cell lineages. The chapters cover the regulation of T versus B cell lineage choice, discuss early B cell development and pre-B cell leukemia prevention, address transcriptional control mechanisms during the differentiation, in regulatory T cells and iNKT cells, detail genomic switches in helper cell fate choice and plasticity and highlight the role of the BTB-zinc finger family of transcription factors in T cells. Moreover, the chapters discuss transcriptional networks in DCs, NK cells and in innate lymphoid cells. Together, the reviews illustrate key transcriptional control mechanisms that regulate the development and function of immune cells and demonstrate the impressive advances made over the last decade.

Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been a high priority for vaccine development for over 50 years now, still no vaccine is available and none has yet demonstrated sufficient promise to move to licensure. The success of RSV immune prophylaxis and the availability of ever more powerful tools to study the immune response and pathogenesis of disease, combined with the ability to construct a wide variety of vaccines using different vaccine platforms, give us grounds to believe that an RSV vaccine is within reach. This book brings together in one source what is currently known about the virus: its clinical and epidemiologic features; the host response and pathogenesis of the disease; vaccines, vaccine platforms, and treatment; and animal and tissue culture models of RSV infection. It is designed to organize the critical information relevant to RSV vaccine development, facilitate the assimilation of data, and speed progress toward producing a safe and effective vaccine.

This volume focuses on the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its analogs in the induced sequestration of lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid organs or in the microenvironment of tissues involved in infection or autoimmune disease. Initial chapters define the pathways to understand S1P signaling. They cover the organization of signaling systems, the structural biology of the S1P1 receptor, and the chemical and genetic tools that are available and useful to explore this area of research and therapeutics. The later chapters highlight S1P and endothelial integrity, lymphocyte migration in the spleen, and S1P agonist in controlling immunopathologic manifestations of acute respiratory influenza virus infection (in the lung), and its accompanying cytokine storm as well as immunopathologic disease of the central nervous system, including the beginning of treatments in multiple sclerosis. One chapter reveals the possible involvement of other lipid molecules, their use for better understanding lipid signaling, and their potential in the modulation of immune responses.

These past few years have witnessed a revolution in our understanding of microglia, especially since their roles in the healthy central nervous system (CNS) have started to unravel. These cells were shown to actively maintain health, in concert with neurons and other types of CNS cells, providing further insight into their involvement with diseases. Edited by two pioneers in the field, Marie-Eve Tremblay and Amanda Sierra, Microglia in health and disease aims to share with the broader scientific community some of the recent discoveries in microglia research, from a broad perspective, with a collection of 19 chapters from 52 specialists working in 11 countries across 5 continents. To set microglia on the stage, the book begins by explaining briefly who they are, what they do in the healthy and diseased CNS, and how they can be studied. The first section describes in more details their physiological roles in the maturation, function, and plasticity of the CNS, across development, adolescence, adulthood, neuropathic pain, addiction, and aging. The second section focuses on their implication in pathological conditions impairing the quality of life: neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis; and in leading causes of death: ischemia and stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as trauma and injury.