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.

One of the most promising new approaches for the prevention of HIV transmission, particularly for developing countries, involves topical, self-administered products known as microbicides. The development of microbicides is a long and complicated process, and this volume provides an overview of all the critical areas, from the selection of appropriate candidate molecules and their formulation, preclinical and clinical testing for safety and efficacy, strategies for product registration and finally, issues associated with product launch, distribution and access. The book will prove valuable to both those working in the field and all others who are interested in learning more about this product class, which has the potential to significantly impact the future of this devastating epidemic.

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.

Liver Immunology: Principles and Practice, Second Edition begins with important information about the epidemiology and mortality of liver disease worldwide. This information is followed by chapters related to basic immunology, application of liver immunology for diagnosis, and several excellent chapters that provide a solid foundation for understanding immune-mediated liver disease, including those associated with the biliary tree. A chapter on non-hepatic manifestations of immune mediated liver disease helps provide context for how these diseases affect the patient overall.  In addition, chapters discuss various discrete immunologically-mediated infectious liver disorders including those related to bacteria, parasites, and all of the classic viruses. Chapters on the traditional autoimmune liver diseases --  primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis as well as overlap syndrome – are also included. The breadth of this comprehensive second edition is highlighted by chapters on alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and drug-induced liver disease, among others.  This invaluable new edition ends with a forward-looking view of future directions and how the field might meet the challenge of refractory patients.  Developed by a renowned group of authors, Liver Immunology: Principles and Practice, Second Edition will again serve as a comprehensive textbook by providing an excellent overview for this rapidly evolving field. It greatly adds to the understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases, while also providing novel insights that can be harnessed into helping improve the care of patients afflicted with various immune-mediated diseases.  This volume will again be a must-read for clinicians at all levels, investigators and students.

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.

The introduction of monoclonal antibodies revolutionized immunology. The development of human monoclonal antibodies was inspired primarily by the enormous clinical benefits promised by these reagents which can be used as anti-inflammatory reagents, anti-tumor reagents and reagents for passive immunization in a variety of pathologies. Human Monoclonal Antibodies: Methods and Protocols presents technical protocols of cellular and molecular methods for the production, purification and application of human monoclonal antibodies, as well as review articles on related topics of human monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. 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 easily accessible, Human Monoclonal Antibodies: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both professionals and novices with its well-honed methodologies which will prove invaluable in a clinical setting.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Methods and Protocols describe a number of genetic, biochemical and immunological techniques. These techniques provide an advancing understanding of the pathology, breakdown of the immune system and therapeutic challenges of SLE in both humans and animal models. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Methods and Protocols appeal to biomedical and clinical scientists in a number of pathology disciplines at the doctoral and post-doctoral level.

The book presents the overview of the current knowledge in some fields of vascular biology, addressing cellular and molecular aspects of blood-vessel formation and their role in health and disease. The major factors involved in the formation of blood vessels are presented by scientists actively involved in this area of research. Special emphasis is put on the presentation of various molecular mechanisms not addressed in similar works to date. The book is divided into three parts. The first part describes the cells and mediators in angiogenesis. The significance of various populations of potential endothelial progenitors is particularly highlighted. The chapters of the second part focus on molecular mechanisms, with special emphasis on the role of hypoxia, gasotransmitters and reactive oxygen species as well as microRNAs in regulation of angiogenic processes. In the third part, the pathological aspects of disturbed - aggravated or impaired - vascularization are discussed and new modalities for potential therapies are presented. The book is intended for scientists and PhD students in the fields of vascular biology and cancer research. It may be of interest for medical professionals in the fields of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oncology and rheumatoid arthritis.

Immune tolerance ensures that the immune system responds to foreign molecules and not to self-molecules. When tolerance breaks down, severe, self-destructive diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis may develop. Understanding the mechanisms involved in establishing and maintaining immune tolerance is essential for effectively treating these autoimmune diseases. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology reviews how self- tolerant T- and B-cell populations are produced. The contributors discuss the elimination of autoreactive lymphocytes during their development in the thymus and bone marrow, the suppression of autoreactive cells by regulatory T cells in the periphery, and intrinsic mechanisms that produce clonal anergy. The roles of dendritic cells in antigen presentation and mechanisms that prevent autoreactivity in natural killer cells are also covered. Including discussions of autoimmune diseases, their genetic bases, and therapeutic strategies, this volume is a valuable reference for all immunologists and clinicians wishing to understand or develop treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Herpes viruses are widely distributed in nature, causing disease in organisms as diverse as bivalves and primates, including humans. Each virus appears to have established a long-standing relationship with its host, and the viruses have the ability to manipulate and control the metabolism of host cells, as well as innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. Herpes viruses maintain themselves within hosts in a latent state resulting in virus persistence for years - usually for the life span of the hosts. Herpes viruses comprise a large number of pathogens with diverse cellular targets and biological consequences of infection. What they have in common is their structure and the fact that they establish a dormant (latent) infection in their hosts that usually persists for life. The reviews here will highlight the general principles of herpes virus infection, with equal attention to overall principle and important difference. Also, the cell type- and life-style dependent differences in the establishment and maintenance of virus persistence will be covered.

Symposium Presentations.- Chemotactic and Inflammatory Cytokines: CXC and CC Proteins.- Induction of Chemotactic Cytokines by Minimally Oxidized LDL.- The Immunopathology of Chemotactic Cytokines.- Receptor/ligand Interactions in the C-C Chemokine Family.- Adhesion Molecules in Acute and Chronic Lung Inflammation.- Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1): Signal Transduction and Involvement in the Regulation of Macrophage Traffic in Normal and Neoplastic Tissues.- Secretion of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) by Human Mononuclear Phagocytes.- L-arginine/nitric Oxide Pathway: A Possible Signal Transduction Mechanism for the Regulation of the Chemokine IL-8 in Human Mesangial Cells.- Some Aspects of NAP-1/IL-8 Pathophysiology II: Chemokine Secretion by Exocrine Glands.- Molecular Mechanisms of Interleukin-8 Gene Expression.- Basophil Activation by Members of the Chemokine Superfamily.- Monocyte Chemotactic Proteins Related to Human MCP-1.- Platelets Secrete an Eosinophil-chemotactic Cytokine which is a Member of the CC Chemokine Family.- Neutrophil-activating Peptide ENA-78.- The Effects of Human Recombinant MIP-1?, MIP-1? and RANTES on the Chemotaxis and Adhesion of T Cell Subsets.- Promiscuity of Ligand Binding in the Human Chemokine Beta Receptor Family.- Structural and Functional Characterization of the Interleukin-8 Receptors.- Elucidation of Structure Function Relationships in the IL-8 Family by X-ray Crystallography.- Overview of Chemokines.- Abstracts.- Regulation of Cytokine Secretion by Poxvirus Encoded Proteins.- Interleukin-8 Expression in Gastric Cancer.- Synergistic IL-8 Synthesis by Human Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells (HPMC) Following IL-1? and TNF? Treatment.- Detection of a Potent Chemotactic Activity in Supernatants from Human Monocytes Stimulated with Endothelin-1.- Glioblastoma Secrete MCP-1, a Monocyte Chemotactic Factor.- Neutrophil Chemotactic Activity in the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Asthmatics.- The Chemoattractant Properties of Interleukin-4.- IL-8 Induced Chemotaxis of Peripheral Neutrophils in Children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).- Unusual Properties in Vitro and in Vivo of 198, an Antibody that Recognizes Rabbit CD11b.- Effect of Monocyte Chemotactic Cytokine Gene Transfer on Macrophage Infiltration, Growth and Metastatic Behaviour of a Murine Melanoma.- Expression of Monocyte Protein 1 (MCP-1) by Monocytes and Endothelial Cells Exposed to Thrombin.- IL-8 Production During Urinary Tract Infections.- NAP-1/IL-8 Receptor Expression on Human Neutrophils.- Macrophage-derived Neutrophil Chemotactic Factor (MNCF) Induces Neutrophil Migration Through Lectin-like Activity.- Interleukin-8 Release from Human PMN is Modified by Airborne Particulated Matter.- Interleukin-8 Induces the Expression of HLA-DR Antigen on Human Keratinocytes.- Cloning, Sequencing and Expression of Ovine Neutrophil-attractant Protein-1/IL-8 and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1.- Inhibition of LPS-mediated Responses in Human Whole Blood by Recombinant Bactericidal/Permeability Increasing Protein.- The Activity of IL-8 in Combination with GMCSF and TNF?.- Induction of IL-8 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.- Elevated Circulating and Tissue IL-8 in Alcoholic Hepatitis.- Expression of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 in Basal Keratinocytes of Psoriatic Lesions.- IL-8 Concentration in ?-Thalassaemia and after Bone Marrow Transplantation.- Cytokine Production in Felty's Syndrome.- The Lymphocyte Attractant Effects of Interleukins la and 8 Are Not Due to the Release of a Secondary Chemoattractant Factor.- Serial Changes in Circulating Interleukin-8 and Neutrophil Elastase After Major Surgery.- Role of Interleukin-8 in the Pathogenesis of Neutrophil-mediated Acute Lung Injury.- Interleukin-8 in Severe Meningococcal Infections: Correlation with Severity of Disease.- IL-6 and IL-8 Levels in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.- Plasma Interleukin 8 Levels in Patients with Septic Shock.- Inhibitory Effect of Protease-inhibitor for P...

In her study Elisabeth Salzer describes three novel monogenic diseases. For CD27 deficiency Elisabeth Salzer describes a large cohort of patients. Although all patients shared the same causative missense mutation, they displayed diverse clinical presentations. In another patient she was able to identify a mutation in PRKCD resulting in a primary immunodeficiency with severe Lupus-like autoimmunity. The patient exhibited increased mRNA levels of IL6. Therefore, treatment with Tocilizumab, a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody was suggested. In a family with a history of deaths due to inflammatory bowel disease she identified a missense mutation in IL21. She produced wild type and mutated IL-21 protein and demonstrated a loss of function phenotype. As IL-21 is in clinical trials, she proposed a potentially curative treatment option. These discoveries contributed to the understanding of the multifaceted regulatory mechanisms of the immune system and highlighted essential players in these complex signaling networks.

This book presents a detailed overview of the development of new viral vector-based vaccines before discussing two major applications: preventive vaccines for infectious diseases and therapeutic cancer vaccines. Viral vector-based vaccines hold a great potential for development into successful pharmaceutical products and several examples at the advanced pre-clinical or clinical stage are presented. Nevertheless, the most efforts were focused on novel and very innovative technologies for new generation of vector-based vaccines. Furthermore, specific topics such as delivery and adjuvant and protection strategies for cell-mediated-based vaccines are presented. Given its scope, the book is a "must read" for all those involved in vaccine development, both in academia and industrial vaccine development.

The thymus is an evolutionarily ancient primary lymphoid organ common to all vertebrates in which T cell development takes place. Failing thymus function is associated with immunodeficiency and/or autoimmunity. In this volume, leading experts provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in thymopoiesis research. The chapters cover the development of the thymic epithelial microenvironment, address the formation of a diverse and self-tolerant repertoire of T cell receptors as the basis for cellular immunity, discuss the mechanisms by which progenitor cells colonize the thymus and detail the molecular basis for T lineage decisions. The reviews illustrate the important role of the multifaceted process of thymopoiesis for adaptive immunity.

Cancer Vaccines: Methods and Protocols explores the manipulation and modification of immune cells, the manipulation and modification of tumor cells as well as the manipulation of immune/tumor interactions and various delivery mechanisms, with the overall end goal of evoking a tumor-specific response and overcoming the immuno-evasive mechanisms employed by the tumor cells. This detailed volume also covers the subject of cancer vaccines in a more global sense with its section on the advances, challenges, and future of cancer vaccines. 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, Cancer Vaccines: Methods and Protocols aims to help guide researchers toward developing further generations of cancer vaccines that are both safe and efficacious, with the hope that cancer vaccines will be the standard of care in the very near future.

This book describes the demographic and clinical patterns of Zika infection and evaluates the risk of it spreading to Europe. It reflects the hands-on experience of the author, who as a physician, was faced with the first-ever cases reported in Europe. Providing essential background information on the viral vector, it addresses the various symptoms after infection, and places them in the epidemiological context of past outbreaks. The book addresses the needs of physicians attending patients with infectious diseases, including infectious-disease specialists, pediatricians, internal medicine specialists, general practitioners, obstetricians, tropical medicine and travel medicine specialists, preventive medicine and public health specialists, microbiologists, biologists and vectorial control specialists. It raises clinicians' and travel health clinics' awareness of the evolution of Zika virus outbreaks and the affected areas so that they can include this infection in their differential diagnoses for travelers from those areas.

Immunology: A Comparative Approach discusses the immunological features of a wide range of living organisms. It considers the merits of the laboratory mouse as an immunological representative; opportunities for bypassing technical obstacles in one model by using another; the immunological implications of changes in overall structure, physiology and way of life; and progress made in the study of defence mechanisms in animals and plants of commercial importance. This book is written for students and research workers with some knowledge of mainstream immunology who are curious about the advances, opportunities and challenges in comparative work.

This book will focus on the differentiation and regulation of subsets of CD4+ T cells. It will also cover other aspects of research on these cells, which has made great advances in recent years, such as subsets' plasticity and their role in healthy and disease conditions. The book provides researchers and graduate students with a cutting-edge and comprehensive overview of essential research on CD4+ T cells.

The book serves as a comprehensive resource for scientists and clinicians studying the role of non-coding RNAs in inflammation (viral infections, wound inflammation), human inflammatory diseases (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, diabetes) and innate immunity. It provides a universal reference work comprising both basic and specialized information. Given that ncRNAs represent new therapeutic targets, this volume will also be of interest to industrial biomedical researchers and those involved in drug development.

T-Helper Cells: Methods and Protocols presents a broad selection of cutting edge protocols that will enable the reader to capture the unique features of TH cells with tools developed for the isolation of TH cells from various tissues and subsequent analysis of their functional properties in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. Chapters cover methods of isolating T cells from various tissues in mice, protocols for the analysis of T cell function and phenotype using various cutting edge technologies, methods allowing for the manipulation of T cell function in vitro and in vivo and in vivo models of diseases in which T cells play a central role in the pathogenesis. 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 easily accessible, T-Helper Cells: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both professionals and novices with its well-honed methodologies in an effort to further the study of this amazingly versatile and potent cell type.