This volume reviews the current state of research on the IgM antibody and its multiple receptors and binding proteins. Interactions of the IgM ligands with these molecules are important for protection against infections as a first line of defense, as well as for regulation of immune responses to pathogens and self-antigens. The book includes up-to-date information on: (i) the phylogeny of three IgM-binding receptors [polymeric Ig receptor (pIgR), Fc receptor for both IgA and IgM (Fc /R), and Fc receptor for IgM only (FcR)]; (ii) the lymphocyte-restricted distribution and unique ligand-binding activity of FcR; (iii) the definition and potential function of Fc receptor-like molecule A (FCRLA) as a resident endoplasmic reticulum protein that binds IgM, but also IgG and IgA; (iv) IgM antibody-mediated enhancement of humoral immune responses, highlighting the importance of complement and its receptors, (v) the numerous important roles of IgM natural antibodies in regulation of inflammation. It is an invaluable resource for researchers and clinicians alike.

Twelve contributions present clinicians and pathologists with current immunological developments on the subject. Space has also been devoted to drug alergy relevant to treatment of STD and to discussion of the roles of clinician and pathologist in future research. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc

Advances in Immunology, Volume 154, the latest release in a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments and comprehensive reviews in immunology, with this volume covering Regulatory T Cells in Infection and Factor H and Properdin and their regulation.

This volume features contributions from participants of the ESRF symposium on "Immunotherapy in 2020a "Visions and Trends for Targeting Inflammatory Diseases" held in Potsdam near Berlin, Germany, in October 2006.

The symposium presentations covered the main mechanisms of immunoregulation such as peripheral and central tolerance, epigenetic programming, immunologic memory, and regulatory networks in inflammation as well as novel experimental and clinical approaches for targeting inflammation in autoimmunity and transplantation. An important related question is how recent findings in immunological research can lead to improved diagnostics, new drugs, and better therapies. The targeting of novel pathways and immunoregulatory mechanisms, the challenge of immunologic memory for lastingly successful anti-inflammatory therapy, new approaches for adoptive T cell and polyclonal antibody therapies, and the individualization of immunomodulatory therapies are thereby topics of this volume.

Antibodies are indispensable tools for research, diagnosis, and therapy. Recombinant approaches allow the modification and improvement of nearly all antibody properties, such as affinity, valency, specificity, stability, serum half-life, effector functions, and immunogenicity. "Antibody Engineering" provides a comprehensive toolbox covering the well-established basics but also many exciting new techniques. The protocols reflect the latest "hands on" knowledge of key laboratories in this still fast-moving field. Newcomers will benefit from the proven step-by-step protocols, which include helpful practical advice; experienced antibody engineers will appreciate the new ideas and approaches. The book is an invaluable resource for all those engaged in antibody research and development.

During the past decade a significant international research effort has been directed towards understanding the composition and regulation of the preocular tear film. This effort has been motivated by the recognition that the tear film plays an essential role in maintaining corneal and conjunctival integrity, protecting against microbial challenge and preserving visual acuity. In addition, research has been stimulated by the knowledge that alteration or deficiency of the tear film, which occurs in countless individuals throughout the world, may lead to desiccation of the ocular surface, ulceration and perforation of the cornea, an increased incidence of infectious disease, and potentially, pronounced visual disability and blindness. 7 To promote further progress in this field of vision research, the International Conference on the Lacrimal Gland, Tear Film and Dry Eye Syndromes: Basic Science and Clinical Relevance was held in the Southampton Princess Resort in Bermuda from November 14 to 17, 1992. This meeting was designed to assess critically the current knowledge and 'state of the art' research on the structure and function of lacrimal tissue and tears in both health and disease. The goal of this conference was to provide an international exchange of information that would be of value to basic scientists involved in eye research, to physicians in the ophthalmological community, and to pharmaceutical companies with an interest in the treatment of lacrimal gland, tear film or ocular surface disorders (e. g. Sjogren's syndrome).

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.

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.

The volume sheds new light on role of gut dysbiosis in cancer and immunological diseases and their clinical manifestations. Contributions in the volume discuss about the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target and the role of probiotics in its management. The volume explores application of probiotics in the treatment of various cancers viz. colorectal, gastric, lung, and breast cancer and immunological diseases. The volume comprises of chapters from expert contributors organized into various important themes which include, introduction, relationship between gut microbiota and disease condition, mechanisms involved, clinical and in vivo status, conclusion and future directions. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing recent and innovative insight for scholars and researchers with an interest in probiotics and its applications in cancer and immunological diseases.

This book discusses the relationship between cellular immunity and tryptophan metabolism, as well as its products, serotonin and melatonin, in the development of several diseases and reappraises the common signal transduction pathways of the neurodegenerative diseases, carcinogenesis, immune tolerance, inflammation, hypersensitivity reactions, neuropsychiatric disorders, in addition to bacterial tryptophan biosynthesis and novel antimicrobials. Tryptophan Metabolism: Implications for Biological Processes, Health and Disease presents fundamental information on tryptophan related metabolic pathways and metabolites, implications of these products for specific biological processes, diseases and conditions. This book focuses on effects of tryptophan metabolites on human health and will appeal to researchers, clinicians and students within this field.

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."

In this issue, guest editors bring their considerable expertise to this important topic. Provides in-depth reviews on the latest updates in the field, providing actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize

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."

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.

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.

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."

This volume provides a collection of methodologies for basic research, clinical diagnosis, and treatment pertaining to food allergens, including food allergen production, purification, characterization, detection, quantification, and bioinformatics approaches to modern food allergen studies. The chapters in the book are divided into 4 parts: Part I discusses food allergen purification and production, and explores methods of producing recombinant food allergens in bacterial and yeast expression systems; Part II looks at allergen discovery, detection, and quantification covering 3 types of methods-DNA-, protein-, and cell-based methods; Part III focuses on allergenic epitope mapping; and Part IV talks about future developments concentrated around new concepts of allergenicity as an outcome of protein and food matrix interactions. 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. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Food Allergens: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for immunologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, and medical doctors and students working in the food allergy field. This book is also useful for people in the food industry, legislators, food standard agencies, allergologists, pediatricians, and clinicians in the allergic diseases and immunology fields.

Innate Defense Mechanisms: Development of Self-Recognition Systems in Natural Killer Cells; P.V. Sivakumar, et al. Activating and Inhibitory NK Cell Receptors; L.L. Lanier. Regulation of Immune Responses by Inhibitory Receptors; E.O. Long. Effector Choice: Interleukin-4 Receptor Signaling Mechanisms and Their Biological Significance; K. Nelms, et al. Development of CD4 + Effector T Cells and Susceptibility to Infectious Diseases; R.M. Locksley, et al. Regulation of Host Resistance to Intracellular Pathogens: Interleukin-4 Production in Response to Infection with Intracellular Bacteria; H. Collins, et al. Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Resistance to Tuberculosis; R.J. Mazzaccaro, et al. Immunopathogenesis of HIV-1 Infection: HIV Entry and Tropism: When One Receptor is Not Enough; E.A. Berger. Immune Control of HIV-1 Replication; B.D. Walker, et al. New Approaches to Vaccine Development: Non-Structural Determinants of Immunogenecity and the B Cell Co-Receptors, CD19, CD21, and CD22; D.T. Fearon. DNA Vaccines: Mechanisms for Generation of Immune Responses; M.A. Liu, et al. 12 Additional Chapters. Index.

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."

"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."

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.