The complement system is a group of proteins which plays a major role in the processing and removal of microorganisms and tissue breakdown products from the circulation and extracellular spaces. The system is activated by a wide range of targets, and activation leads to the production of opsonins, chemotaxis of granulocytes, cell lysis and other biological activities. Inappropriate overactivation of the system contributes to inflammatory tissue damage in the host, while inadequate activation leads to accumulation of immune complexes and other debris in the circulation, and susceptibility to infection. The biology and biochemistry of the system is now adequately understood, and attempts can be made to manipulate the activation and activities of the system for potential therapeutic purposes. The reviews in this volume summarise what is known of the ways in which the complement system can be activated, by interaction with antibodies, microorganisms, cell debris, and complex carbohydrates and how the activities and activation of the system have been modified, accidentally or by design, in vitro or in vivo by drugs, venoms, particulate carbohydrates, specific antibodies, synthetic peptides and other reagents.

HPV Gene Expression: The Antibody Response Against p53 in Cancer Patients (G. Matlashewski). Enhanced Production of WildType p53 Inhibits Growth and Differentiation of Normal Foreskin Epithelial Cells but not Cell Lines Containing Human Papillomavirus DNA (C.D. Woodworth et al.). Humoral Responses to HPV: Humoral Immune Response to Genital Human Papillomavirus Infections (L. Gissman). HPV 16 Antibodies in Cervical Cancer Patients and Healthy Control Women (V. Vonka et al.). Cell Mediated Immunity to HPV: Evolution of Class I HLA Antigen Presenting Molecules (P. Parham). Major Histocompatibility Complex Expression and Antigen Presentation in Cervical Cancer (J.S. Bartholomew et al.). Animal Models and Therapeutic Strategies: Skin Test Reactivity to Papilloma Cells Is Long Lasting in Domestic Rabbits After Regression of Cottontail Rabbit PapillomavirusInduced Papillomas (R.M. Hoepfl et al.). 42 additional articles. Index.

The difficulty in achieving effective translation of basic mechanistic biomedical knowledge into effective therapeutics, is the greatest challenge in biomedical research. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the reductionist approaches to understanding and manipulating the acute inflammatory response in the settings of sepsis, trauma/hemorrhage, wound healing, and related processes. This book discusses complex systems and computational biology methods and approaches that have advanced sufficiently to allow for knowledge generation, knowledge integration, and clinical translation in the settings of complex diseases related to the inflammatory response. Well-regulated, self-resolving inflammation is necessary for the appropriate communication and resolution of infection and trauma, and for maintenance of proper physiology and homeostasis. In contrast, self-sustaining inflammation drives the pathobiology of the aforementioned diseases. It is now increasingly recognized that controlling and reprogramming inflammation in order to reap the benefits of this evolutionarily-conserved process is preferred to simply abolishing indiscriminately.

Both nutrition deficiency and overnutrition can have a significant effect on the risk of infection. Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection focuses on the influence of diet on the immune system and how altering one's diet helps prevent and treat infections and chronic diseases. This book reviews basic immunology and discusses changes in immune function throughout the life course. It features comprehensive chapters on obesity and the role of immune cells in adipose tissue; undernutrition and malnutrition; infant immune maturation; pre- and probiotics; mechanisms of immune regulation by various vitamins and minerals; nutrition and the aging immune system; nutrition interactions with environmental stress; and immunity in the global health arena. Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection describes the various roles of nutrients and other food constituents on immune function, host defense, and resistance to infection. It describes the impact of infection on nutritional status through a translational approach. Chapters bring together molecular, cellular, and experimental studies alongside human trials so that readers can assess both the evidence for the effects of the food component being discussed and the mechanisms underlying those effects. The impact of specific conditions including obesity, anorexia nervosa, and HIV infection is also considered. Chapter authors are experts in nutrition, immunity, and infection from all around the globe, including Europe, Australia, Brazil, India, and the United States. This book is a valuable resource for nutrition scientists, food scientists, dietitians, health practitioners, and students interested in nutrition and immunity.

The concept of using bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy by retargeting immune effector cells was developed several years ago. Initial clinical studies were rather disappointing mainly due to low efficacy, severe side effects and the immunogenicity of the bispecific antibodies. The progress in antibody engineering finally led to the generation of new classes of bispecific antibodies lacking these obstacles. In addition, new applications were established, such as pre-targeting strategies in radioimmunotherapy and dual targeting approaches in order to improve binding, selectivity and efficacy.

In this book, the different ways of generating bispecific antibodies are described, with emphasis on recombinant formats. The various applications of bispecific antibodies, e.g. in cellular cancer immunotherapy, radioimmunotherapy and pretargeting strategies are covered, and emerging applications such as dual targeting strategies, which involve the simultaneous inhibition of two targets, are addressed.

This book represents an evolutionary approach to defense mechanisms of all living organisms. The results achieved in developmental and comparative immunology are among the most interesting data in immunology. These results have great impact on our understanding fundamental problems of the pathology of the human immune system. At the same time, the field of evolutionary immunology provides not only inspiration for further investigation in biomedicine, but also a number of results applicable in clinical and commercial practice.

This book evaluates the advantages and limitations of studying the development of defense reactions. In addition to reviewing the major and crucial achievements of the past, the book offers a comprehensive state-of-the-art treatise focused primarily on the latest experiments described in the last few years.

Welcome to the City of Groningen, the center of the North of the Netherlands. Groningen is proud of the long lasting tradition of scientific symposia organised by the Sanquin Blood Bank. These Sanquin International Symposia on Blood Transfusion have become a true traditional event in Groningen, marking the early academic year and have contributed to the specific reputation of Groningen and its University in the scientific field of Transfusion Medicine. The growing tradition has also contributed to initiatives of both University, Province and the City of Groningen to bring science and industry together - BioMedCity Groningen. Such repu- tion does not just happen, but is the result of creative and scientific leadership, of vision and an open mind, to explore in a team spirit horizons. Groningen is particularly proud of this reputation thanks to its leadership, the Sanquin Blood Bank North-East. This year in particular the theme chosen some two years ago is extremely timely as it illustrates the activities and scientific interest of an integrated team which includes our regional Sanquin Blood Bank North-East and fits in the City initiatives within the concept of BioMedCity, Groningen.

This book stems from a conference held at Magdeburg-Herrenkrug, Germany, in November 1996 on "Cellular Peptidases in Immune Functions and Diseases. " This sympo- sium was designed to bring together scientists from diverse areas of expertise to discuss issues of newly identified relevance of proteolytic processes and their role as molecular regulators in the immune system and in diseases. The meeting was organized by the Son- derforschungsbereich 387 of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft "ZelluHire Proteasen, Bedeutung fiir Immunmechanismen und entziindliche Erkrankungen," which links re- search groups from the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the Martin Luther University Halle. It has become clear during the last decade that proteolysis, the processing and degrada- tion of peptides and proteins, has to be considered as a special level of epigenetic control of practically all processes of life and-an understanding dating from the last three years or so--also of cell death or apoptosis. There is also increasing evidence that proteolysis does play a crucial role in all areas of immune functions as well as in inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. Cellular proteases have central functions in natural (nonspecific) as well as acquired in the cognitive phase (antigen processing and presen- (specific) immunity. They are involved tation), in the activation phase (e. g. , generation and processing of cytokines, function of CD26, CD 13, processing of transcription factors) as well as in the effector phase of the im- mune response (e. g. , complement system, granzymes, elastase, proteinase 3.

This detailed book serves as a systematic examination of the analytical methods to study the transcription factor NF- B in physiology and disease. It provides an up-to-date guidebook to navigate both conventional and highly specialized methods to detect and analyze the different signaling pathways of NF- B activation and contextualize them within organismal physiology and disease pathogenesis, using genetic and biochemical techniques and some of the most advanced computational and systems biology methods. Additionally, the volume includes several examples of approaches utilized by leading experts in the NF- B field to analyze and modulate NF- B signaling in specific physiological and disease contexts, along with some of the most promising approaches to pharmacologically target the NF- B pathway in human disease. Written for 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. Authoritative and practical, NF- B Transcription Factors: Methods and Protocols is an up-to-date guide intended for both basic and translational scientists who are working in the dynamic NF- B field.

This book provides a lucid summary of behavioral, neural and endocrine regulation of immune responses and of the effects of immune system activity on neural and endocrine functions and behavior. The underlying premise is that the brain and immune system represent a single, integrated system of defense. The discussion includes such topics and stress induced modulation of innate resistance and adaptive immunity in influenza viral infections.

There is increasing evidence that the CD1 system has been conserved throughout mammalian evolution and is capable of presenting structurally diverse diacyglycerol, sphingolipid, polyisoprenol and lipopeptide antigens. These features of CD1 antigen presentation systems now point to a new and expanded view of the natural function of ab T cells, which involves surveillance of both the protein and lipid components of target cells. Further, cellular systems that were previously considered to have functions in lipid metabolism can now be studied in context of their immunological functions. This volume provides a comprehensive discussion of these basic aspects of CD1 biology and summarizes the most recent research into the role of CD1 in infectious, autoimmune, allergic and neoplastic disease.

Aegean Conferences is an independent, nonprofit, educational organization directed and managed by the scientific community. The board is made up of nine researchers/scientists in various disciplines from Harvard, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, UCSD, Princeton, Biovista and the Foundation for Biomedical Research Academy of Athens. The board both invites and approves unsolicited proposals for Conferences in all fields of Science, Engineering, Arts, and Humanities. The purpose of the Conferences is to bring together individuals with common interests to examine the emerging and most advanced aspects of their particular field.

This volume will include mini-reviews derived from work to be presented at the Aegean Conference: Second Crossroads between Innate and Adaptive Immunity, in Crete, Greece, June 17-22, 2007. This meeting is designed to serve as a forum to discuss the most recent progress in complement research as it pertains to human disease pathogenesis and therapeutics. The rapid pace of development in complement basic research and the advent and application of new experimental approaches in this field have now allowed us to take an integrated view of the in vivo biology of the complement system. The availability of new reagents (e.g. synthetic and recombinant inhibitors) and animal models (e.g. transgenic and knockout mice) has enabled us to address, in an in vivo setting, its involvement in various pathophysiological conditions. Such studies are shedding new light on the pathogenetic mechanism of complement-related diseases such as autoimmune diseases and inflammatory tissue damage as well as defining new areas of high interest such as the developmental biology of complement. They also provide the basis for developing new therapeutic strategies for these diseases through manipulation of in vivo complement activity. This volume will serve as a resource where the latest development in these specific areas will be discussed in a more focused and detailed manner.

This book comprehensively describes the association between metabolic syndrome and pancreatic cancer progression, and the mechanism of action and target definition with a view to drug discovery. Metabolic syndrome, which includes adnominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia, has recently been shown to play an important role in the etiology and progression of various cancers. Further, obesity and diabetes have been associated with an increased incidence of gastric cancers. The book reviews the key biological mechanisms underlying the association between metabolic dysregulation, including obesity-associated enhancement of growth factor signaling, inflammation, and perturbation in pancreatic cancer cell growth and metastasis. It also illustrates the role of the inflammatory signaling pathway in metabolic diseases as well as tumor growth and explores the potential of these pathways as the rational targets for pancreatic cancer therapy. Lastly, the book offers a comprehensive description of the challenges associated with diabetes and pancreatic cancer therapy.

Combiningtwodifferentscienti?cdisciplines-morphologyandimmunochemistry- immunohistochemistryhasdevelopedasanimportantinstrumentinresearchand clinicalpathology. A basicunderstandingofunderlying principlesandpotential problemsisunavoidableifyouwanttobesuccessfulinyouruseofimmunohis- chemistry,aswellasingettingyourpaperspublishedandyourresearchgrants funded. Whilemanyexcellenttextsandmonographsexistwhichcovervariousaspects ofimmunohistochemistry,thelackofaconcisecomprehensiveguidetousing thesemethodswasamajormotivationforwritingthisbook. Ourintentionwasto createaneasy-to-readandfocusedresourcebasedonstate-of-the-artinformation forabroadaudiencerangingfromstudentsandtechnicalassistantstoexperienced researchers. Thishandbookhasaconciseformat,withprotocolsandinstructionsfor methodsimmediatelyfollowingtheshortintroductorytheoreticalmaterialineach chapter. BeingconsciousofthegrowingroleofInternetasaninformationsource, wehavefounditreasonableinmanycasestosubstitutecitingbooksandjournal publications with corresponding Internet websites. Where possible, commercial sourcesofreagents,kits,andequipmentarelistedthroughoutthetextinsteadof inaseparateindex. Thougheachchapterissmallandintroductory,thishandbook itself is self-suf?cient and provides a comprehensive look at the principles of immunohistochemistry. For readers wanting further depth of knowledge, each chapterisbackedupbyashortlistofcarefullyselectedoriginalarticles. Duringthelastdecade,pioneeringeffortsofhistochemistshaveledtoan- menseimprovementinthereagentsandprotocols. Theresearcherisurgedalwaysto determinethereasonforeverymethodandstepbeforedoingit. Thishandbookis intendedtohelpreaderstoavoidtroublesinthechoiceofanadequatemethod,which happenswhenusingstandardtextbooks. Forthishandbook,wecarefullyselected establishedmethodsandeasy-to-adoptprotocols,payingattentiontomoderndev- opmentsinimmunohistochemistry,suchasantigenretrieval,signalampli?cation, the use of epitope tags in immunohistochemistry, multiple immunolabeling or diagnosticimmunohistochemistry. Eachofthemethodsdescribedinthishandbook v vi Preface was provedby the authors; many of these methods are routinely used in daily practiceintheirinstitute. Allthepracticalmethodsadvocatedareclearlydescribed, withaccompanyingtables,andtheresultsobtainableareillustratedwithcolour micrographs. Acknowledgements We thank Vera Samoilova forthe perfect technical assistance and other colleaguesfromtheMunsterUniversityClinicforsharingprobesandreagents. IgorB. BuchwalowandWernerBocker Munster Contents 1 AntibodiesforImmunohistochemistry ...1 1. 1 StructureofAntibodies ...2 1. 2 PolyclonalAntibodies ...4 1. 3 MouseMonoclonalAntibodies ...4 1. 4 RabbitMonoclonalAntibodies ...5 1. 5 ProteinAandProteinGinImmunohistochemistry ...7 References ...8 2 AntibodyLabelingandtheChoiceoftheLabel ...9 2. 1 CovalentLabelingofAntibodies ...9 2. 2 Non-CovalentLabelingofPrimaryAntibodieswith LabeledFabFragments ...10 2. 3 EnzymeLabelsforLightMicroscopy ...13 2. 4 FluorophoreLabelsforFluorescenceMicroscopy ...15 2. 5 ColloidalGoldLabelsforElectronMicroscopy ...16 References ...17 3 ProbesProcessinginImmunohistochemistry ...19 3. 1 FixationinImmunohistochemistry ...19 3. 1. 1 FixationinAlcoholsandAcetone ...20 3. 1. 2 FixationinFormaldehyde ...20 3. 1. 3 EffectofFormaldehydeFixationon Antigen-nster Contents 1 AntibodiesforImmunohistochemistry ...1 1. 1 StructureofAntibodies ...2 1. 2 PolyclonalAntibodies ...4 1. 3 MouseMonoclonalAntibodies ...4 1. 4 RabbitMonoclonalAntibodies ...5 1. 5 ProteinAandProteinGinImmunohistochemistry ...7 References ...8 2 AntibodyLabelingandtheChoiceoftheLabel ...9 2. 1 CovalentLabelingofAntibodies ...9 2. 2 Non-CovalentLabelingofPrimaryAntibodieswith LabeledFabFragments ...10 2. 3 EnzymeLabelsforLightMicroscopy ...13 2. 4 FluorophoreLabelsforFluorescenceMicroscopy ...15 2. 5 ColloidalGoldLabelsforElectronMicroscopy ...16 References ...17 3 ProbesProcessinginImmunohistochemistry ...19 3. 1 FixationinImmunohistochemistry ...19 3. 1. 1 FixationinAlcoholsandAcetone ...20 3. 1. 2 FixationinFormaldehyde ...20 3. 1. 3 EffectofFormaldehydeFixationon Antigen- immunohistochemistryhasdevelopedasanimportantinstrumentinresearchand clinicalpathology. A basicunderstandingofunderlying principlesandpotential problemsisunavoidableifyouwanttobesuccessfulinyouruseofimmunohis- chemistry,aswellasingettingyourpaperspublishedandyourresearchgrants funded. Whilemanyexcellenttextsandmonographsexistwhichcovervariousaspects ofimmunohistochemistry,thelackofaconcisecomprehensiveguidetousing thesemethodswasamajormotivationforwritingthisbook. Ourintentionwasto createaneasy-to-readandfocusedresourcebasedonstate-of-the-artinformation forabroadaudiencerangingfromstudentsandtechnicalassistantstoexperienced researchers. Thishandbookhasaconciseformat,withprotocolsandinstructionsfor methodsimmediatelyfollowingtheshortintroductorytheoreticalmaterialineach chapter. BeingconsciousofthegrowingroleofInternetasaninformationsource, wehavefounditreasonableinmanycasestosubstitutecitingbooksandjournal publications with corresponding Internet websites. Where possible, commercial sourcesofreagents,kits,andequipmentarelistedthroughoutthetextinsteadof inaseparateindex. Thougheachchapterissmallandintroductory,thishandbook itself is self-suf?cient and provides a comprehensive look at the principles of immunohistochemistry. For readers wanting further depth of knowledge, each chapterisbackedupbyashortlistofcarefullyselectedoriginalarticles. Duringthelastdecade,pioneeringeffortsofhistochemistshaveledtoan- menseimprovementinthereagentsandprotocols. Theresearcherisurgedalwaysto determinethereasonforeverymethodandstepbeforedoingit. Thishandbookis intendedtohelpreaderstoavoidtroublesinthechoiceofanadequatemethod,which happenswhenusingstandardtextbooks. Forthishandbook,wecarefullyselected establishedmethodsandeasy-to-adoptprotocols,payingattentiontomoderndev- opmentsinimmunohistochemistry,suchasantigenretrieval,signalampli?cation, the use of epitope tags in immunohistochemistry, multiple immunolabeling or diagnosticimmunohistochemistry. Eachofthemethodsdescribedinthishandbook v vi Preface was provedby the authors; many of these methods are routinely used in daily practiceintheirinstitute. Allthepracticalmethodsadvocatedareclearlydescribed, withaccompanyingtables,andtheresultsobtainableareillustratedwithcolour micrographs. Acknowledgements We thank Vera Samoilova forthe perfect technical assistance and other colleaguesfromtheMunsterUniversityClinicforsharingprobesandreagents. IgorB. BuchwalowandWernerBocker Munster Contents 1 AntibodiesforImmunohistochemistry ...1 1. 1 StructureofAntibodies ...2 1. 2 PolyclonalAntibodies ...4 1. 3 MouseMonoclonalAntibodies ...4 1. 4 RabbitMonoclonalAntibodies ...5 1. 5 ProteinAandProteinGinImmunohistochemistry ...7 References ...8 2 AntibodyLabelingandtheChoiceoftheLabel ...9 2. 1 CovalentLabelingofAntibodies ...9 2. 2 Non-CovalentLabelingofPrimaryAntibodieswith LabeledFabFragments ...10 2. 3 EnzymeLabelsforLightMicroscopy ...13 2. 4 FluorophoreLabelsforFluorescenceMicroscopy ...15 2. 5 ColloidalGoldLabelsforElectronMicroscopy ...16 References ...17 3 ProbesProcessinginImmunohistochemistry ...19 3. 1 FixationinImmunohistochemistry ...19 3. 1. 1 FixationinAlcoholsandAcetone ...20 3. 1. 2 FixationinFormaldehyde ...20 3. 1. 3 EffectofFormaldehydeFixationon Antigen-AntibodyBinding ...21 3. 2 Paraf?nSectionsforImmunohistochemicalAnalysis ...22 3. 2. 1 EmbeddingandCutting ...22 3. 2. 2 MountingParaf?nSectionsontoSlides ...23 3. 3 CryosectionsforImmunohistochemicalAnalysis ...24 3. 4 BuffersforWashingandAntibodyDilution ...25 3. 5 MountingFollowingImmunohistochemicalStaining ...27 3. 6 StorageFollowingImmunohistochemicalStaining ...28 References ...28 vii viii Contents 4 WorkingwithAntibodies ...31 4. 1 DirectImmunostainingMethod ...31 4. 2 IndirectImmunostainingMethod ...33 4. 3 TheChoiceofAntibodies ...35 4. 3. 1 TheChoiceofPrimaryAntibodies ...35 4. 3. 2 TheChoiceofSecondaryAntibodies ...

Laboratory Practices in Microbiology provides updated insights on methods of isolation and cultivation, morphology of microorganisms, the determination of biochemical activities of microorganisms, and physical and chemical effects on microorganisms. Sections cover methods of preparation of media and their sterilization, microorganisms in environment, aseptic techniques, pure culture techniques, preservation of cultures, morphological characteristics of microorganisms, wet-mount and hanging-drop techniques, different staining techniques, cultural and biochemical characteristics of bacteria, antimicrobial effects of agents on microorganisms, hand scrubbing in the removal of microorganisms, characteristics of fungi, uses of bacteriophages in different applications, and more. Applications are designed to be common, complete with equipment, minimal expense and quick to the markets. Images are added to applications, helping readers better follow the expressions and make them more understandable. This is an essential book for students and researchers in microbiology, the health sciences, food engineering and technology, and medicine, as well as anyone working in a laboratory setting with microorganisms.

Natural killer (NK) cells have been at the forefront of immunology for two decades. During that time, a great amount of information about these cells has been obtained. They are important in antiinfectious and antitumoral defense and shape the adaptive immune response. In addition, they can act as immunoregulatory cells. In recent years, the therapeutic potential of NK cells in cancer immunotherapy has become increasingly evident. This book describes in detail current knowledge about NK cells and covers a broad range of NK cell-related topics, including those that are not frequently reviewed, e.g. NK cells and allergy or NK cells and skin diseases.

This volume reviews the unique and common features of rhabdoviruses, which have a very wide host range and are associated with human diseases and also infect domestic livestock and agricultural plants, causing enormous economic loss.

This second edition volume provides new and updated chapters detailing simple and accessible experiment protocols to explore thymus biology. Chapters are divided into three parts presenting short reviews, analysis strategies, protocols for cell preparation, flow cytometry analyses, Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC), mouse T-cell development, antigen receptor-less cousins of T cells, bone marrow chimeras, thymic stroma, and multiple aspects of thymocyte biology. 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 cutting-edge, T-Cell Development: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to be a useful practical guide to help readers overcome obstacles associated with experimental approaches of T-cell development.

Origins of Human Socialization introduces a new concept on the origins of basic human instinct. The book combines the three disciplinary approaches, including neuroscience, paleoanthropology and developmental psychology as an intertwined foundation for prosocial behavior. It argues that humans have the basic brain mechanisms for prosocial activity, offering new insights into more sophisticated social behavior. It also examines both visual and auditory systems in both humans and animals to explain the evolution of social interactions. Written by world-renowned researcher Dr. Donald Pfaff, this book is the first to explore why we have basic social instinct and how it works. For centuries, researchers have argued over the foundations of human behavior in society. Anthropologists point to transitions from hunter/gathers to urban dwellers leading to human domestication. Developmental psychologists highlight social competences in babies. Neuroscientists focus on specific genetic and neurochemical mechanisms that attribute to social behavior. This book brings all of these important areas together in an interdisciplinary approach that helps readers understand how they are linked.

About 7 million people worldwide are suffering from various inherited neuromuscular diseases. Gene therapy brings the hope of treating these diseases at their genetic roots. Muscle Gene Therapy is the only book dedicated to this topic. The first edition was published in 2010 when the field was just about to enter its prime time. The progress made since then has been unprecedented. The number of diseases that have been targeted by gene therapy has increased tremendously. The gene therapy toolbox is expanded greatly with many creative novel strategies (such as genome editing and therapy with disease-modifying genes). Most importantly, clinical benefits have begun to emerge in human patients. To reflect rapid advances in the field, we have compiled the second edition of Muscle Gene Therapy with contributions from experts that have conducted gene therapy studies either in animal models and/or in human patients. The new edition offers a much needed, up-to-date overview and perspective on the foundation and current status of neuromuscular disease gene therapy. It provides a framework to the development and regulatory approval of muscle gene therapy drugs in the upcoming years. This book is a must-have for anyone who is interested in neuromuscular disease gene therapy including those in the research arena (established investigators and trainees in the fields of clinical practice, veterinary medicine and basic biomedical sciences), funding and regulatory agencies, and patient community.

The third edition of this volume is aimed at providing both beginners and more experienced researchers a choice of methods to isolate and analyze dendritic cells(DC). An introductory review provides an overview of recent advances in the characterization of DC subsets in mouse and human. While additional chapters provide methods to culture human and mouse dendritic cells, protocols for the isolation of dendritic cells, the isolation of dendritic cell progenitors from mouse, and the purification of dendritic cells from human blood. 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 cutting-edge, Dendritic Cell Protocols, Third Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.