"Advances in Immunology, " a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for the future.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

"Advances in Immunology, " a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for the future.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

This issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics covers aspirin and other NSAID-exacerbated respiratory diseases (AERD), as well as other aspirin sensitivity syndromes

Guest edited by Sandra Anderson this issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics covers all aspects of exercise-induced bronchospasm, including treatment through pharmacologic agents, patient assessments, and biomarkers.

In the relatively few decades since the introduction of HIV into the human population, variants of the virus have diverged to such an extent that, were the discussion about something other than viruses, said variants could easily be classified as different species. This book will consider these evolutionary variations, as well as the different and, at times, opposing theories attempting to explain them. It will compare and contrast the ways in which the immune system and drugs affect the virus's evolution, and the implications of these for vaccine development. The issue will be explored and explained through "ecological genetics," which postulates that all living organisms have, besides rivals, enemies. This is divergent from the more traditional school of "population genetics," which emphasizes that evolution occurs among rival species (or variants thereof) that compete for niches or resources in a fixed, unreactive environment. Both models will be formulated using mathematical models, which will be included in the book. Finally, it will consider the possibilities for designing a vaccine that blocks HIV from escaping the immune system.

Legionnaires disease, a potentially fatal type of pneumonia primarily affecting elderly and immuno-compromised persons, is caused by the ubiquitous environmental bacterium "Legionella pneumophila." This book offers authoritative reviews of different facets of its virulence, focusing on comparative phagocyte infection, virulence gene regulation, biochemical functions of effector proteins and cellular pathogen-host interactions, as well as host responses and immunity to "L. pneumophila." Taken together, the contributions in this compilation provide a state-of-the-art overview of current insights into the molecular pathogenesis of the opportunistic and potentially fatal pathogen "L. pneumophila.""

The concept of immunotherapy was in infancy when the first edition was written; since then, major advances have been made, not only with several prominent clinical trials, but also with the approval of cell-based therapy by the FDA for the treatment of cancer in 2010. These events resulted in a gradually narrowing gap between early scientific knowledge and the late development of immune-based therapies. Consequently, the significance and magnitude of these advances warranted a revision of this contribution; this revised edition will provide a deeper understanding of the recent advances and discoveries related to the function of the immune response and their applications in the development of novel therapies to treat human diseases. Some of the key discoveries during the past five years include: the identification of the new subsets of helper T cells; new cytokines and their networks; and novel signal transduction mechanisms. For example, the identification of TH17 subset of helper T cells, in addition to TH1 and TH2 cells, not only advanced our understanding of the function of the basic immune response, but also raised our awareness of the possible etiology and pathogenesis of diseases such as allergy, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and other auto-immune/immune system based diseases. The newly identified powerful cytokine networks, that regulate both innate and acquired immune responses, emerged as a result of the finding of new cell types such as innate lymphoid cells and iNKT. Identification of the novel cytokines and their networks has advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, including inflammation and tissue repair during stress and injury. The development of HIV vaccines has also seen dramatic changes over the last few years. There has been a shift from a sole focus on T cell vaccines to a holistic approach that pertains to the induction of both humoral and cellular elements. This entails the induction of antibodies - both binding and neutralizing - to prevent infection. The cellular vaccination produces a safety net of CD8+ T-cell responses to suppress the replication of the virus in the infected patients, and both of the effector arms are aided by helper T cells. From the perspective of clinical applications, significant advances have also been made in: oral immunotherapy for allergic disease, the possible treatment of HIV infection, the development of new monoclonal antibodies and their fragments to treat human diseases, and immune cell based therapies for cancer.

Guest edited by Eugene Choo, this issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics covers the latest research in diagnosing and managing asthma-like diseases. Topics covered include vocal cord dysfunction, dynamic airway collapse, RADS, GERD, sarcoidosis, and more.

This volume provides readers with methods and protocols for understanding the development of recombinant viruses and their use as vaccines platforms. Recombinant Virus Vaccines: Methods and Protocols details the use of recombinant vaccines that are employed to either produce immunogens in vitro or elicit antibody production in vivo. The chapters in this book are divided into four parts: Part I explores double-stranded DNA viruses; Part II discusses negative sense single-stranded RNA viruses; Part III talks about positive sense single-stranded RNA viruses; and Part IV describes bacteriophages. 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. Thorough and cutting-edge, Recombinant Virus Vaccines: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for scientists and clinicians who are interested in learning about and adopting methods for use in basic and biomedical research directed toward generating and developing recombinant viral vaccines.

Providing current diverse approaches and techniques used to study the immunoproteome, Immunoproteomics: Methods and Protocols collects chapters from key researchers that deliver information to be used in diagnostics, disease progression, and vaccine correlates of protection analysis, to name but a few. This detailed volume includes techniques used for the study of the antibody targets of bacterial pathogens, viruses, and cancer, mass spectrometry-based approaches to characterize T-cell epitopes, chapters on detection and relative quantification of cytokines in serum, as well as in silico prediction of epitopes using sequence-based or modeling approaches. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and thorough, Immunoproteomics: Methods and Protocols aids researchers in transferring these techniques to their own laboratories in addition to providing a reference to guide researchers toward appropriate techniques.

This book offers comprehensive information on the polymorphisms of genes encoding pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Following a short description of the general role of PRRs in the immune system, the structure and function of Toll-like and NOD-like receptors are examined in detail. The main focus is on the role of inherited variation in PRRs and their correlation to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. A review of all epidemiological investigations is included, and a concept of genomic risk markers for the prevention of various diseases is also discussed.

Notch signaling regulates many cell fate decision and differentiation processes during embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Moreover, disregulation of the pathway is associated with human disorders and cancer. In the last 15 years it became evident that Notch plays important roles in the hematopoietic system as well as in the regulation of immune responses. This special issue on Notch regulation of the immune system summarizes recent advances and covers multiple aspects of Notch signaling within the hematopoietic and the immune system. This issue covers subjects including Notch function in embryonic and adult hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocyte development and function as well as in T cell leukemia."

This book examines Au (I, III) complexes that selectively attack and inhibit zinc finger proteins (ZnFs) for potential therapeutic use. The author explores gold(I)-phosphine, gold(III) complexes with N^N and C^N donors as inhibitors of the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein (NCp7), in comparison to the human transcription factor Sp1. To determine the coordination sphere of the gold adducts formed by interaction with ZnFs, two innovative approaches are used, based on Travelling-Wave Ion Mobility coupled with Mass Spectrometry (TWIM-MS), and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. Both approaches are proven to yield valuable structural information regarding the coordination sphere of gold in the adducts. In addition, the organometallic compound [Au (bnpy)Cl2] is evaluated. The system is shown to be capable of inhibiting ZnFs by means of C-S coupling.

This long overdue title provides a comprehensive, up-to-date, state-of-the art review of approved biologic therapies, with coverage of mechanisms of action, Indications for therapy, immunogenicity and a detailed examination of adverse effects and safety of the many and diverse therapeutic agents presented in a total of 13 chapters. It is predicted that by 2016, biologics will make up half of the world's 20 top-selling drugs and by 2018, biologic medicine sales will account for almost half of the world's 100 biggest selling drugs. Recombinant proteins dominate the growing list of the more than 200 approved biotherapeutic agents with targeted antibodies, fusion proteins and receptors; cytokines; hormones; enzymes; proteins involved in blood-clotting, homeostasis and thrombosis; vaccines; botulinum neurotoxins; and, more recently, biosimilar preparations, comprising the majority of approved biologics. Written with clinicians, other health care professionals, and researchers in mind, Safety of Biologics Therapy examines, in a single volume, the full range of issues surrounding the safety of approved biologic therapies. A good understanding of the risks and safety issues of modern biologics therapy is increasingly being demanded of all those connected with their development, handling, prescribing, administration and subsequent patient management. In addition to being of great value to clinicians in all branches of medicine, and to nurses, pharmacists and researchers, this book will prove invaluable for students taking undergraduate and graduate courses in the above disciplines and in the biomedical sciences.

This book presents the latest breakthrough results in glycobiology regarding the roles of glycans in relation to quality control and transport of protein, the immune system, viral infection, stem cells, the neural system, and various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular dystrophy, and schizophrenia. Although glycoscience has long been regarded as a very specialized field with no simple analytical method, the recent explosive progress in research continues to provide limitless evidence that glycan chains are the key component in various biological phenomena. Cell surface glycans, for example, change with developmental stages or environmental conditions and thus represent a "face" of the cell that is utilized for identification of iPS and ES cells and as biomarkers in diagnosis or detection of cancer. This book comprises 17 chapters, each of which poses outstanding "glyco-related" questions enabling non-specialists to have a clearer idea about what the future direction for further investigation of glycans in their own research fields will be. Also including basic information to understand the nature of glycans, this title serves as an excellent "textbook" for researchers in diverse research fields who are not familiar with, but nevertheless interested in, glycan chains or sugar chains.

"Advances in Immunology, " a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for the future.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

This issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics provides a comprehensive review of the current state of biomarkers and their role in the asthma diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm.Since the last issue on Biomarkers, which published in 2007, significant research directly targeted at biomarker development and clinical trials with new biologics, using biomarkers such as exhaled nitric oxide, sputum and tissue eosinophilia as endpoints, has occurred.

This volume presents a collection of reviews derived from work presented at the Aegean Conference: "5th Crossroads Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity". This meeting was the fifth in a series, and assembled a team of scientists working on mechanisms by which the innate immune system of the host senses pathogens, the cellular and signaling networks that orchestrate the innate response and antigen presentation and adaptive immunity. The importance of the crosstalk between innate immunity and the adaptive immune response has only recently started to be appreciated. Although it is well recognized that dendritic cells, NK cells, NK-T cells and T cells are all critical for the host response to pathogens, the respective fields that study the biology of these immune cells tend to exist in parallel worlds with minimum exchange of information and ideas. This fragmentation hinders the integration of these fields towards a unified theory of host response. The Aegean Conference "Crossroads between Innate and Adaptive Immunity" brought together leading international scientists and experts to address critical areas of Innate and Adaptive Immunity, a necessary step in the development of more efficient scientific exchange and crosspollination between these fields. This conference attracted scientists from all over the world to discuss their latest findings on the various aspects of Innate and Adaptive Immunity, and maximized scientific interchange through lecture presentations, poster sessions and informal discussions.

Literally thousands of papers have been published on nitric oxide over the past ten years. But there is no single monograph available that has previously attempted to summarize the important features of the roles of nitric oxide in inflammation. The voluminous literature regarding the incredible range of chemical and biological effects of nitric oxide and reactive nitrogen oxide species, RNOS, may present a tangle of confusing information to the researcher. This volume brings together experts from nitric oxide and inflammation research and presents a concise up-to-date overview as well as future aspects of this rapidly growing field.

Many questions remain unresolved as researchers continue to characterize and define the nature of normal immune homeostasis and determine how these processes are dysregulated in immunodeficiency, as well as in autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders. Immune Homeostasis: Methods and Protocols focuses on experimental techniques for measuring and analyzing immune cell dynamics, with a particular emphasis on examining lymphocyte programmed cell death in different contexts. With contributions by leading experts in the field, the collection examines detailed protocols for studying various pathways of apoptosis and necrosis in different types of hematopoietic cells, both in vitro and in vivo, methods for studying the maintenance of lymphocyte populations in the steady-state or following infectious challenges in both mice and humans, and technical insights into state-of-the-art genomics tools, among other topics. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Valuable and easy to use, Immune Homeostasis: Methods and Protocols serves as an important toolkit for basic and clinical scientists interested in examining various aspects of immune homeostasis in both normal and disease-related contexts in order to further study the dynamic processes that contribute to homeostasis of the immune system.

"Advances in Immunology, " a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for the future.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

Otolaryngologists, Facial Plastic Surgeons, and other reconstructive and cosmetic surgeons deal with patients who are having rhinoplasty procedures with concomitant rhinology and allergy medical conditions. Likewise, they deal with patients with these medical conditions who have already undergone rhinoplasty surgery. This resource presents clinical information for the practitioner working with these patients that includes "How to approach the rhinoplasty patient with allergy and sinus issues, ? a decision algorithm for "Yes or No: can this patient have rhinoplasty surgery, and a summary of how the allergy and sinus problems will affect the outcome of rhinoplasty. Topics include: Chronic rhinosinusitis; Allergic rhinitis; Non-allergic rhinitis; Allergic skin disease; Concurrent Rhinoplasty and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery - A review of the pros and cons and a template for success; Pharmacotherapy of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis; The role of alternative medicine in rhinology; Sinonasal problems and reflux; Bacteriology and antibiotic resistance in chronic rhinosinusitis; Smell and taste disorders

"Advances in Immunology, " a long-established and highly respected publication, presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for the future.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

The International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies is held every three years to discuss the recent advances and future directions in Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS). This volume collects the scientific highlights and new findings about APS that were generated from the most recent 13th Congress, held in Galveston, Texas in 2010. Chapters were written by an internationally-distinguished group of scientists from the point-of-view of multiple specialty areas. Each chapter was written in a uniform and systematic basis to present the latest evidence-based research, including the basic science of APS, task force reports from the Congress on controversial aspects of APS, and future directions of APS research. This book will appeal to all clinicians involved in the treatment and management of APS patients, to residents in a variety of medical subspecialties, and to research scientists interested in a better understanding of this complex and evolving disease.