The role of the immune response in both the pathology of liver disease and in the modulation ofliver injury has been the subject of intense research. This book aims to present the current understanding of the involvement of the immune response in liver disease. The first chapters examine the role of the immune response in viral infections of the liver. These viruses cause hepatitis of varying severity and it is thought that many of the mechanisms responsible for liver cell injury are immunologically mediated. In addition three of these viruses, hepatitic B, C, and D, are associated with persistent infection and chronic liver disease. The role of the immune response in viral persistence is discussed. Further chapters are devoted to the three major autoimmune liver diseases which are thought to be the result of loss of tolerance to autologous liver tissue. There has been much recent research on cellular immune responses in these diseases but knowledge of the immunological processes which lead to the breakdown of tolerance and the mechanisms of tissue damage are limited. Other research has concentrated on the identification of the antigens which are the targets of this immune response. Linkage disequilibrium between MHC alleles and autoimmune diseases has suggested a role for immunogenetic factors.

The term humanized mouse in this text refers to a mouse in which human tissues and cells have been transplanted and show the same biological function as they do in the human body. That is, the physiological properties and functions of tra- planted human tissues and cells can be analyzed in the mouse instead of using a living human body. It should therefore be possible to study the pathophysiology and treatment of human diseases in mice with good reproducibility. Thus, the hum- ized mouse can be used as a potent tool in both basic and clinical research in the future. The development of appropriate immunodeficient mice has been indispensable in the creation of the humanized mouse, which has been achieved through many years of efforts by several laboratories. The first stage on the road to the humanized mouse was the report on nude mice by Isaacson and Cattanach in 1962. Thereafter, nude mice were studied in detail by Falanagan and, in 1968, Pantelouris found that these mice have no thymus gland, which suggested that the mice lack transplan- tion immunity against xenografts such as human hematopoietic stem cells. At the Nude Mouse Workshops (organized by Regard, Povlsen, Nomura and colleagues) that were held nine times between 1972 and 1997, the possibility of creating a humanized mouse using nude mice was extensively examined. The results, however, showed that certain human cancers can be engrafted in nude mice, but unfortunately engraftment of normal human tissue was almost impossible.

"Recent studies have discovered new known and characterized cytokines, allowing for advancement in miniaturization of micro-analytical methods as well as the extensive development of bio-informatics and nanotechnology. These advancements have allowed researchers to reduces sample sizes making for more accurate determinations then previously possible. In Cytokine Protocols: Second Edition, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used to study cytokines. These methods and techniques for studying cytokines include historical importance and the importance of researchers using bioassay, quantification, and characterization of cytokine related RNAs, posttranscriptional modifications of RNA, either naturally or artificially, and observations at the protein level. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, the chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results in the laboratory. Authoritative and practical, Cytokine Protocols: Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in furthering the crucially important advancement of cytokine research."

Fluorescence is a very powerful tool for work at the frontier of cell biology, photobiology and bioinstrumentation. The stated aim of the workshop was to highlight the significance of fluorescence work for the understanding of cell and tissue physiology, physiopathology and pharmacology, particulary in terms of the analytical use of fluorescent probes in oncology. In the organization of the workshop a multidisciplinary approach was selected. The purpose of the Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) was to bring together researchers in the various disciplines of tissue optics, imaging, microspectrofluorometry and state of the art probes, in order to explore the full benefits that can be derived in biomedicine through the convergence of these approaches. When applied to in vivo and in situ studies, fluorescence and related optical methods enable us to explore within tissues, cells and organelles photon effects previously understood only in solution photochemistry. Processes which can be studied at the molecular level by photophysics, photochemistry and physical chemistry can be evaluated in living tissue by fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging at the intracellular level in terms of structure and function. Thus, fluorescence adds a new dimension to cell biology and physiology. This approach is now supported by a full and versatile, rapidly growing armamentarium of new selective probes for organelles, enzymes, cations, cytoskeleton and metabolic control.

Biomedical scientists widely acknowledge that individuals' immune respon siveness is important in resistance to infections by microorganisms, including fungi. Because of the devastating acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, caused by the human immunodeficiency retrovirus, it is now accepted that suppressed immune responses, especially cellular immu nity, are important contributors to increased individual susceptibility to opportunistic infections-including infections caused by fungi which were at one time thought to be very lowly or nonpathogenic. Within the last few years, there has been an almost explosive increase in interest and studies concerning the nature and mechanisms of the immune response to fungal infections. Many immunologists who are not well versed in mycology have begun to study the nature and mechanisms of antifungal immunity using a wide variety of newer as well as more conventional immunologic technologies, both in vivo and in vitro. Up to the 1980s, however, there was little interest among basic immunologists concerning fungal immunity. This situation has changed dramatically in the past half decade, mainly because of AIDS."

Behcet s Syndrome has seen great strides over the last two decades in the availability of new treatments and the understanding of underlying pathogenesis. Only 30 years ago the majority of particularly young men with Behcet s lost total eye sight, now only a minority do. This book covers the most recent developments in the basic and clinical aspects of Behcet s Syndrome. International authorities have collaborated to offer their diverse expert knowledge on the multiple affected organs and systems, including the skin, the eye, the brain, the lungs and not the least the gastrointestinal and the locomotor systems. A special chapter is devoted to juvenile disease. The definitive resource on Behcet s Syndrome, this book is well suited for rheumatologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists, and health professionals caring for Behcet s patients."

Most complex biological systems, such as enzyme pathways, are effec tively controlled near the beginning of the process. There is increasing evidence that the same is true for the immune system, with the initial interactions between antigen, antigen-presenting cells, and T cells hav ing a paramount influence on the ensuing events. Thus, analysis of the early stages of the immune responses has been a preoccupation of many immunologists. This has been considerably aided by the capac ity to expand these early events, and 'immortalize' them as clones of T cells, for detailed analysis. The discovery by Morgan, Ruscetti, and Gallo (Science 193, 1007, 1976) of T-cell growth factor (now termed interleukin-2 or IL-2) has had a major impact in immunology that is far from over. The greater ease of handling murine tissues experimentally, with the availability of more precisely defined reagents such as inbred strains, has meant that, to date, most of the work on long-term T-cell cultures has been per formed in the mouse, as summarized by Fathman and Fitch (eds., Iso lation, Characterization and Utilization of T Lymphocyte Clones, Aca demic Press, NY, 1982). However, the limitations of working with human tissues are counterbalanced by the great long-term importance of understanding disorders of human immune regulation, especially since it is becoming evident that these are far from rare. Immune deficiencies such as agammaglobulinemia and T-cell deficiencies are not common, but immune hyperresponsiveness occurring in allergy and allergiC diseases (e. g."

The ground-breaking book that tells you how to improve your immune system, fight off ill-health and treat auto-immune diseases. A leading doctor of functional medicine, Dr Susan Blum includes her innovative four-step method in this book, which focuses on: Using food as medicine Understanding the stress connection Healing your gut and digestive system Optimizing liver function Each of these sections includes an interactive workbook to help you determine and create your own personal treatment program. Also included are over 50 recipes for simple, easy-to-prepare dishes to jump-start the healing process. The Immune System Recovery Plan is a revolutionary way for people to balance their immune systems, transform their health, and live fuller, happier lives.

The development of radioimmunoassay (RIA) by R.S. Yalow and S.A. Berson in 1959 opens up a new avenue in ultra sensitive analysis of trace substances in complex biological systems. In recognition of the enormous contributions of RIA to basic research in biology and to routine clinical tests in laboratory medicine, R.S. Yalow, the co-developer of RIA, was awarded, in 1977, the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology. The basic principle of RIA is elegantly simple. It is based on a specific, competitive binding reaction between the analyte and the radio-labeled analog of the analyte for the specific antibody raised to the analyte. The combination of high specificity and affinity of an antibody molecule makes it a very versatile analytical reagent capable of reacting specifically with analytes at a very low concentration in a complex solution such as serum. The sensitivity of RIA is provided by using a radioactive tracer."

This monograph reviews information published since 1997 on the group B coxsackieviruses (CVB), a large and important group of human enteroviruses. The CVB were discovered in the mid-20th century, during the search for other poliovirus types, and within a very few years of this discovery, the CVB had been implicated as causes of human myocarditis and pancreatitis. The study of the CVB is still inextricably linked with the fate of their well-known relatives, the polioviruses, for as poliovirus eradication proceeds around the world, the CVB emerge more prominently as the enteroviruses best suited for continuing studies in enteroviral molecular biology as well as understanding the mechanisms underlying enteroviral pathogenesis. This volume reviews and presents modern views on the spectrum of CVB biologies, from interaction of the virus with its receptor through replication, speciation, and induction of disease.

Progress in Basic and Clinical Immunology is a result of the 14th European Immunology Meeting - EFIS 2000, held in Poznan, Poland, on 23-27 September 2000. EFIS 2000 gathered over 1400 immunologists from all over the world. It was an exceptionally memorable meeting for a number of reasons: 1) it was held in the last year of the century and the millennium, thus provoking conclusions of past achievements of immunology and projections for the future; 2) it was held in Poland, a country that is a symbol of struggle for freedom for a large number of scientists originating from the Eastern Bloc' countries; and 3) EFIS celebrated its 25th anniversary at this occasion. This comprehensive volume contains 62 chapters grouped into 11 sections: T-cells, Immune Receptors, Antigen Presentation/Dendritic Cells, Cytokines, Immunodeficiencies, Autoimmunity, Allergy/Inflammation, Immunotherapy, Vaccines, Tumor Immunology, and Cancer Immunotherapy.

The fifth of the annual research conferences of the American Institute for Cancer Research was held September l-2, 1994, at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. Appropriately, in view of current directions in research, the theme was "Diet and Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms of Interactions." This proceedings volume contains chapters from the platform presentations and abstracts from the poster session held on the end of the first day. The subtopics for the tl;rree sessions held were "Retinoids, Vitamins A and Din Cancer Prevention and Therapy," "Choline and Lipids: Signal Transduction, Gene Expression and Growth Regulation," and "Dietary Factors and Regulation of Oncogenes, Growth and Differentiation. " A general overview on vitamins A and D emphasized that A and D, in addition to their established roles in vision, reproduction, and bone mineral homeostasis, may play significant roles in regulating cell function. Vitamin A metabolites, trans-retinoic acid and 9-cis-retinoic acid, regulate growth and differentiation. Furthermore, vitamin A deprived animals were more susceptible to both spontaneous and carcinogen-induced tumors. Epidemiological studies showed a correlation between low A intake and higher incidences of certain types of human cancers. Conversely, all-trans retinoic acid is useful in treatment and control of certain types of cancer. Physiologically, Vitamin D is converted to the active form, l,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (VD). VD regulates hormone production and secretion, myocardial contractility, vascu 3 3 3 lar tone, and growth inhibition and differentiation."

Explains the new methodologies by which viral diseases can be definitively diagnosed in a few hours, especially molecular methods. The many new methods now being developed are based largely on the application of the polymerase chain reaction to the detection of viral genomic material. Accessible to

The International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT, www. isott. info) is an interdisciplinary society comprising about 250 members worldwide. Its purpose is to further the understanding of all aspects of the processes involved in the transport of oxygen from the air to its ultimate consumption in the cells of the various organs of the body. The annual meeting brings together scientists, engineers, clinicians and mathematicians in a unique int- national forum for the exchange of information and knowledge, the updating of participants on latest developments and techniques, and the discussion of controversial issues within the field of oxygen transport to tissue. Founded in 1973, the society has been the leading platform for the presentation of many of the technological and conceptual developments within the field both at the meetings themselves and in the proceedings of the society. These have been published first by Plenum Publishing (1973), then by Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers and presently by Springer Publishing, all in the Advances In Expe- mental Medicine and Biology Series. The 36th Annual ISOTT conference was held in Sapporo, Japan during August 3-7, 2008. It was the second occasion that the ISOTT meeting was held in Japan; the first one was held in the same place in 1987 organized by Professor Masaji Mochizuki.

"Mycobacterium tuberculosis" is one of the most notorious pathogens on earth, causing the death of approximately 1.5 million people annually. A major problem in the fight against tuberculosis is the emergence of strains that have acquired resistance to all available antibiotics. One key to the success of "M. tuberculosis" as a pathogen is its ability to circumvent host immune responses at different levels. This is not only a result of the special makeup of "M. tuberculosis" in terms of genetic diversity and DNA metabolism and its possession of specialized secretion systems, but also of its ability to hijack the host s innate immune defence mechanisms.

In this volume, researchers from different disciplines provide a topical overview of the diverse mechanisms that contribute to the virulence of "M. tuberculosis," ranging from their genetic, metabolic and molecular makeup, as well as the complex strategies these bacteria utilize to escape immune destruction within infected hosts."

Cancer care is undergoing a radical transformation as novel technologies are directed toward new treatments and personalized medicine. The most dramatic advances in the treatment of cancer have come from therapeutics that augment the immune response to tumors. The immune checkpoint inhibitors are the best-known and most highly advanced examples of Immune Therapeutics targeting tumor cells and include approved antibody drugs directed at the cell surface proteins CTLA4 and PD-1. These are now considered foundational treatments for several solid tumor indications, and that list of indications is growing quickly. More broadly, antibodies have become workhorse molecules across the entire immunotherapy landscape. Antibodies to novel targets modulate the activity of diverse immune cell regulatory proteins. Engineered antibodies can induce tumor cell death or expose tumor cells to poisonous toxins (ADCC and ADC, respectively). Bi-specific antibodies can engage multiple tumor targets simultaneously, or can redirect lymphocytes to attack tumor cells. The antigen-binding domains within antibodies can be spliced onto cell stimulatory domains and transduced into T cells or NK cells, creating remarkable tumor-specific cellular therapeutics (CAR-T, CAR-NK). Beyond antibody-based therapies there are highly diverse and differentiated technology tool kits being applied to immunotherapy. Small molecule drugs are being developed to attack the tumor microenvironment, novel tumor vaccine approaches are showing great promise, patient lymphocytes are being isolated, expanded and reintroduced to patients, gene-editing techniques are becoming widely deployed, and a vast number of new tumor targets, and mutated tumor proteins (neoantigens), are being discovered. The past decade has seen unprecedented success in the treatment of diverse cancers. The authors of this volume have been asked to not only review progress to date, but importantly, to look ahead, and anticipate the evolution of cancer treatment across diverse Immune Therapeutic approaches. Our hypothesis is that the advances we are seeing across the immunotherapy landscape will further evolve and synergize, leading us finally to outright cures for many cancers.

During the last few decades, Sleep Medicine and Science, and many of their diverse aspects, have emerged as areas of intense medical and scientific interest. Of these, Sleep and Neuroimmunology are highly interlinked and inherently fascinating which cut across many behavioral states, touches all facets of human health and wellbeing. Elucidating the roles of immune substances and cells in Central Nervous System functions and their critical relationships in immune mechanisms in health and diseases across behavioral states.

As one of the first of its kind, this Neuroimmunology of Sleep volume provides an introduction to the interphase between Sleep and Neuroimmunology. Written both from a basic and a clinical perspective, the volume contains useful information to many biomedical professionals and students of the human biology. This informative and forward-looking volume will be valuable to sleep researchers, neuroimmunologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists and all those physicians or health care professionals who evaluate and treat patients with sleep problems. In addition, this volume will be helpful to medical students and clinicians of various disciplines who want to get an overall grasp of the Neuroimmunology of sleep field.

S.R. Pandi-Perumal, MSc., Comprehensive Center for Sleep Medicine, Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA

D.P. Cardinali, MD., PhD., Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, 1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

G.P. Chrousos, MD, FAAP, MACP, MACE, First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University Medical School, AghiaSophia Children's Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece and Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch, National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD, USA.

Cytomegaloviruses are members of the herpesvirus group and can infect humans and other primates. This text presents comprehensive reviews on every aspect of current research.

Chagas' disease, which results from infection with the single cell parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a debilitating condition that is a major problem in many parts of Latin America. Rapid technical progress is now facilitating dissection of the molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, a process that will ultimately provide new strategies to alleviate the enormous public health burden associated with the infection. In this book, international experts review the buoyant status of Chagas' disease research as we enter the "post-genome" era and speculate on how the new findings will impact on drug and vaccine development. The chapters outline how progress is being made on several fronts ranging from parasite population genetics to human immunology. Researchers, physicians and students with an interest in any aspect of molecular parasitology should find this book to be a valuable reference

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."

During the past decade, the rapid growth of molecular and cellular knowledge of macrophages, as a specialized host defense and homeostatic system, has begun to offer attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. Macrophages play a central role in a wide range of disease processes, from genetically determined lysosomal storage diseases, to acute sepsis, chronic inflammation and repair, tissue injury and cell death. Under- or overactivity of macrophage clearance, immune effector functions and responses to metabolic abnormalities contribute to common disorders such as autoimmunity, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and major infections including AIDS and Tuberculosis. Whilst the goals of therapeutic intervention based on improved understanding of macrophage functions and their contribution to pathogenesis may seem self evident, there are considerable difficulties in producing useful new agents. The present volume covers a range of subjects and provides opportunities for a more focused macrophage-targeted approach. The individual chapters review selected topics briefly, to place cellular processes and molecular targets in perspective. Overall, the volume should provide a broad sample of the state of the art. Useful reviews and references in the literature are cited within individual chapters.

In this edition of the Emerging Infectious Diseases of the 21st Century Series, the editor reviews the research, diagnosis, and treatment of some common infections facing researchers, clinicians and family physicians such as sinusitis, otitis media and pertussis in adults. Recent studies and surveys have shown that these conditions are often over diagnosed and treated unnecessarily with antibiotics. The approach and guidelines for diagnosis and management are reviewed in this volume. Other more complicated but less common conditions challenging internists, clinical infectious disease consultants and other specialists are also reviewed (i.e. meningitis, ventilator associated pneumonia, sepsis, hepatitis C, B, etc.).

Autoimmunity, COVID-19, Post-COVID-19 Syndrome and COVID-19 Vaccination covers all aspects of what is perhaps the most dramatic health crisis in the history of modern medicine. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) raised major concerns about the association between the virus and various autoimmune manifestations. Over 15 distinct autoantibodies and above 10 different autoimmune diseases were found to develop in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, evidence about recovered COVID-19 patients demonstrates that persistent systemic symptoms, which are believed to have an autoimmune-related mechanism, do exist. As it is of great importance to recognize those autoimmune manifestations of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 syndrome to properly cope with their outcomes in the ongoing pandemic and the long-term post-pandemic period, this book fulfills a vital need in the medical community.

The recent FDA approval of Provenger as the first therapeutic cancer vaccine together with the recent demonstration that Ipilimumabr, a monoclonal antibody that blocks the negative immune checkpoint cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4, prolongs patient survival are major achievements that usher in a new era of cancer immunotherapy. These "first-in-class" treatments reflect the substantive progress that basic and translational scientists have made towards understanding the mechanisms underlying protective tumor immunity in cancer patients Immunotherapies were first explored at the turn of the twentieth century, but the crafting of potent treatments required more detailed knowledge of how the immune system responds to cancer. Advances in genetic, cellular, and biochemical technologies have begun to yield this critical information, focusing attention on immune recognition, regulation, and escape. Indeed, the dynamic interplay of these processes in the tumor microenvironment is now recognized to play a decisive role in determining disease outcome. This volume highlights the rapid progress and breadth of research in cancer immunology, and provides a framework for anticipating many more clinical successes in cancer immunotherapy.