To start with, we feel that we should explain why the book has been entitled Cholera Toxins. In fact, the enterotoxin secreted by Vibrio cholerae, which is p- marily responsible for causation of the disease, is conventionally known as or referred to as cholera toxin, or CT. By using the word "toxins" (in its plural form), we wanted to cover all of the different types of toxins-and not just CT-produced by V. cholerae. We could have used the title Toxins of Vibrio cholerae, but we believe that Cholera Toxins is simpler and equally as expressive. However, due to its relative importance, the story of CT covers most of this book. Also, compared to all other toxins of V. cholerae, CT has been investigated more extensively. This book was jointly written by us. It is not a multiauthor book in which each expert writes one chapter. In that respect our task is harder. On the other hand, it has given us the unique opportunity to present the entire subject in the way that we conceived it. Besides, our objective is to cater to the needs of not only active research scientists but also students from different disciplines-microbiology, molecular physiology and pharmacology, basic medicines, etc. -and as such, we have attempted to present the subject in a way that will be appreciated by general readers. Further, we have provided some information that students and predoctoral researchers may find useful at the end of the book.

This book captures some of the essential developments, both historical and current, relating to the human retroviruses and the diseases they cause. It describes detailed molecular biology and epidemiology of human T-leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1).

This publication is a collection of essays on the biology of intracellular parasitisms where both bacterial and protozoan parasites are discussed. The juxtaposition of authors representing fields of research emphasizes the many common problems facing intracellular parasites and the hosts that harbor them. In addition, numerous illustrations of how different parasites and host attempt to solve these problems in different ways are provided. The book includes one or more chapters on Bdellovibrio, Chlamydia, Rickettsia, Coxiella, Legionella, Shigellae, Mycobacterium, Microsporidium, Plasmodium, and Toxoplasma. The authors frequently speculate and generalize on the subject matter discussed.

This informative text is divided into eight chapters, each of which presents a comprehensive review of natural and acquired host defense mechanisms in a major mycotic disease. The chapters are written by distinguished scientists whose studies have contributed significantly to the understanding of the immunology of the mycoses. This text should provide a valuable reference for researchers, practicing clinicians, and new investigators entering this expanding field.

Drug-resistant bacteria ― known as superbugs ― are one of the biggest medical threats of our time. Here, a doctor, researcher, and ethics professor tells the exhilarating story of his race to beat them and save countless lives.

When doctor Matt McCarthy first meets Jackson, a mechanic from Queens, it is in the ER, where he has come for treatment for an infected gunshot wound. Usually, antibiotics would be prescribed, but Jackson’s infection is one of a growing number of superbugs, bacteria that have built up resistance to known drugs. He only has one option, and if that doesn’t work he may lose his leg or even his life.

On the same day, McCarthy and his mentor Tom Walsh begin work on a groundbreaking clinical trial for a new antibiotic they believe will eradicate certain kinds of superbugs and demonstrate to Big Pharma that investment in these drugs can save millions of lives and prove financially viable. But there are seemingly endless hoops to jump through before they can begin administering the drug to patients, and for people like Jackson time is in short supply.

Superbugs is a compelling tale of medical ingenuity. From the muddy trenches of the First World War, where Alexander Fleming searched for a cure for soldiers with infected wounds, to breakthroughs in antibiotics and antifungals today that could revolutionise how infections are treated, McCarthy takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the history ― and future ― of medicine. Along the way, we meet patients like Remy, a teenage girl with a dangerous and rare infection; Donny, a retired firefighter with a compromised immune system; and Bill, the author’s own father-in-law, who contracts a deadly staph infection. And we learn about the ethics of medical research: why potentially life-saving treatments are often delayed for years to protect patients from exploitation.

Can McCarthy get his trial approved and underway in time to save the lives of his countless patients infected with deadly bacteria, who have otherwise lost all hope?

In this completely revised and updated second edition of DNA Vaccines: Methods and Protocols, W. Mark Saltzman presents a comprehensive collection of DNA vaccine protocols, written by leading experts in the groundbreaking field of DNA vaccination. Divided into five sections, this volume contains state-of-the-art and practical procedures on the latest DNA vaccine technology. Part I contains DNA vaccine design protocols, focusing on methods that achieve optimal expression in host cells. Part II is dedicated to presenting methods for DNA delivery, and covers both the range of administration methods available for vaccine administration and a variety of techniques for improving the efficiency of delivery into cells. Part III discusses current available methods, including adjuvant and prime-boost approaches, for enhancing the potency of DNA vaccines. Part IV describes several key areas of application in the field, including allergy, avoidance of autoimmunity, and neonate and infant vaccine response. DNA Vaccines: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition concludes with a review of protocols for vaccine production and purification, and applicable quality control methods.
This collection of up-to-date protocols demonstrates the tremendous progress that has been made in the field of DNA vaccination since the initial appearance of this new vaccination strategy. Given current enthusiasm for the magnificent potential for this technology among the scientific community, researchers will find tremendous value in this updated and enhanced molecular methods guide.

By integrating knowledge from pharmacology, microbiology, molecular medicine, and engineering, researchers from Europe, the U.S. and Asia cover a broad spectrum of current and potential antimicrobial medications and treatments. The result is a comprehensive survey ranging from small-molecule antibiotics to antimicrobial peptides and their engineered mimetics, from enzymes to nucleic acid therapeutics, from metallic nanoparticles to photo- and sonosensitizers and to phage therapy. In each case, the therapeutic approaches are compared in terms of their mechanisms, likelihood to induce resistance, and their efficiency in a global healthcare context. Unrivaled knowledge for professionals in fundamental research, pharmaceutical development and clinical practice.

Eleven years ago the circular DNA of a novel single-stranded virus has been cloned and partially characterized by Nishizawa and Okamoto and their colleagues. According to the initials of the patient from whom the isolate originated, the virus was named TT virus. This name has been subsequently changed by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) into Torque teno virus, permitting the further use of the abbreviation TTV. Although initially suspected to play a role in non A E hepatitis, subsequent studies failed to support this notion.

Within a remarkably short period of time it became clear that TT viruses are widely spread globally, infect a large proportion of all human populations studied thus far and represent an extremely heterogeneous group of viruses, now labelled as Anelloviruses. TT virus-like infections have also been noted in various animal species. The classification of this virus group turns out to be difficult, their DNA contains between 2200 and 3800 nucleotides, related so-called TT-mini-viruses and a substantial proportion of intragenomic recombinants further complicate attempts to combine these viruses into a unifying phylogenetic concept. "

The Advances in Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Public Health Series will provide microbiologists, hygienists, epidemiologists and infectious diseases specialists with well-chosen contributed volumes containing updated information in the areas of basic and applied microbiology involving relevant issues for public health, including bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections, zoonoses and anthropozoonoses, environmental and food microbiology. The increasing threat of the multidrug-resistant microorganisms and the related host immune response, the new strategies for the treatment of biofilm-based, acute and chronic microbial infections, as well as the development of new vaccines and more efficacious antimicrobial drugs to prevent and treat human and animal infections will be also reviewed in this series in the light of the most recent achievements in these fields. Special attention will be devoted to the fast diffusion worldwide of the new findings of the most advanced translational researches carried out in the different fields of microbiological sciences, with the aim to promote a prompt validation and transfer at clinical level of the most promising experimental results.

Understanding the diagnostic methods necessary to identify bloodstream infections. In the clinical microbiology laboratory, blood is a critical diagnostic sample that, in the majority of cases is sterile (or is it?). However, when microbes gain access to and multiply in the bloodstream, it can result in life-threatening illness including sepsis. Mortality rates from bloodstream infection and sepsis range from 25% to 80%, killing millions of people annually. Blood cultures are a vital technology used in the microbiology laboratory to isolate and identify microbes and predict their response to antimicrobial therapy. The Dark Art of Blood Cultures, edited by Wm. Michael Dunne, Jr., and Carey-Ann D. Burnham, surveys the entire field of blood culture technology, providing valuable information about every phase of the process, from drawing samples to culture methods to processing positive cultures. The Dark Art of Blood Cultures is organized around several major topics.

Infection by flaviviruses such as dengue virus serotypes (DENV 1-4), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE), yellow fever virus (YFV) and West Nile virus (WNV) impact millions of lives and cause tens of thousands of mortalities each year. Dengue is a global public health emergency especially since there is no preventative vaccine or antiviral treatment for dengue disease. Dengue: Methods and Protocols offers the increasing number of dengue researchers a one-stop protocol book with techniques compiled from the leading laboratories working on dengue. Chapters cover topics such as dengue virus isolation from clinical samples, quantification of human antibodies against the virus, assays to quantify the virus particles, the widely used mouse model to study dengue pathogenesis, vaccine and antiviral efficacies. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Dengue: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both professionals and novices with its well-honed methodologies on dengue research.

The Advances in Applied Microbiology series, first published in 1959, continues to be one of the most widely read and authoritative review sources in microbiology. The series contains comprehensive reviews of the most current research in applied microbiology and includes recent research on the role staphylococcus aureus aggregation and coagulation mechanisms, along with analysis of microbial communities in the deep biosphere.

This book series focuses on current progress in the broad field of medical microbiology, and covers both basic and applied topics related to the study of microbes, their interactions with human and animals, and emerging issues relevant for public health. Original research and review articles present and discuss multidisciplinary findings and developments on various aspects of microbiology, infectious diseases, and their diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The book series publishes review and original research contributions, short reports as well as guest edited thematic book volumes. All contributions will be published online first and collected in book volumes. There are no publication costs. Advances in Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Public Health is a subseries of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, which has been publishing significant contributions in the field for over 30 years and is indexed in Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Biological Abstracts, CSA, Biological Sciences and Living Resources (ASFA-1), and Biological Sciences. 2019 Impact Factor: 2.450. 5 Year Impact Factor: 2.324; Cite Score: 3.0; Eigenfactor Score: 0.03583; Article Influence Score: 0.603

This book ventures into a new and exciting area of discovery that directly ties our current knowledge of cancer to the discovery of microorganisms associated with different types of cancers. Recent studies demonstrate that microorganisms are directly linked to the establishment of cancers and that they can also contribute to the initiation, as well as persistence of, the cancers. Microbiome and Cancer covers the current knowledge of microbiome and its association with human cancers. It provides important reading for novices, senior undergraduates in cancer and microbiology, graduate students, junior investigators, residents, fellows and established investigators in the fields of cancer and microbiology. We cover areas related to known, broad concepts in microbiology and how they can relate to the ongoing discoveries of the micro-environment and the changes in the metabolic and physiologic states in that micro-environment, which are important for the ongoing nurturing and survival of the poly-microbial content that dictates activities in that micro-environment. We cover the interactions of microorganisms associated with gastric carcinomas, which are important for driving this particular cancer. Additional areas include oral cancers, skin cancers, ovarian cancers, breast cancers, nasopharyngeal cancers, lung cancers, mesotheliomas, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, glioblastoma multiforme, hepatocellular carcinomas, as well as the inflammatory response related to the infectious agents in cancers. This book covers the metabolic changes that occur because of infection and their support for development of cancers, chronic infection and development of therapeutic strategies for detection and control of the infection. The field of microbiome research has exploded over the last five years, and we are now understanding more and more about the context in which microorganisms can contribute to the onset of cancers in humans. The field of microbiome research has demonstrated that the human body has specific biomes for tissues and that changes in these biomes at the specific organ sites can result in disease. These changes can result in dramatic differences in metabolic shifts that, together with genetic mutations, will produce the perfect niche for establishment of the particular infection programmes in that organ site. We are just beginning to understand what those changes are and how they influence the disease state. Overall, we hope to bring together the varying degrees of fluctuations in the microbiome at the major organ sites and how these changes affect the normal cellular processes because of dysregulation, leading to proliferation of the associated tissues.

The author successfully developed novel anti-HIV PD 404182 derivatives that exhibited submicromolar inhibitory activity against both HIV-1 and HIV-2. His thesis is in three parts. The first part expounds efficient methods for the synthesis of tricyclic heterocycles related to PD 404182 based on the sp2-carbon heteroatom bond formations. Starting from arene or haloarene, C O, C N, or C S bonds were formed by simply changing the reactants. These synthetic methods provide powerful approaches for the divergent preparation of pyrimido-benzoxazine, -quinazoline, or -benzothiazine derivatives. The second part explains SAR studies of PD 404182 for the development of anti-HIV agents. Through optimization studies of the central 1,3-thiazin-2-imine core, the benzene and cyclic amidine ring parts, 3-fold more potent inhibitors were obtained compared with the lead compound. The author also reveals by a time-of-drug-addition experiment that PD 404182 derivatives impaired HIV replication at the binding or fusion stage. The third part of the thesis elucidates the development of photoaffinity probes for the target identification of PD 404182. By the photolabeling experiment of HIV-1-infected H9 cells using these probes, the author detected proteins specifically bound to PD 404182. These new anti-HIV agents may be promising agents for anti-HIV therapy because their mechanisms of action differ from those of the currently approved anti-HIV agents.

In recent years, plants have been increasingly explored for production of biomedicines and vaccine components. The two main advantages of plant systems are low cost and a greater potential for scalability as compared to microbial or animal systems. An additional advantage from the public health point of view is high safety compared to animal systems, which is important for vaccine production: there are no known plant pathogens capable of replicating in animals, and in humans in particular. A particular antigen or a protein has to be expressed in a plant using one of many available platforms; this antigen/protein subsequently needs to be purified or processed, and later formulated into a vaccine or a therapeutic; these need to be delivered to a human or animal body via an appropriate route. Naturally, all these vaccines and therapeutics must be subjected to regulatory approvals prior to their use. Thus, the challenge is to adapt plant-based platforms for production of cost-efficient biomedicals that can be approved by FDA for use as vaccine components or therapeutics which will be competitive against existing vaccines and drugs.

This volume attempts to address the entire spectrum of challenges facing the nascent field of plant-based biomedicals, from the selection of an appropriate production platform to specific methods of downstream processing and regulatory approval issues.

Traces the history of the study of tumor viruses and its role in driving breakthroughs in cancer research. Worldwide, approximately one-fifth of human cancers are caused by tumor viruses, with hepatitis B virus and HPV being the leading culprits. While the explosive growth in molecular biology in the late twentieth century is well known, the role that the study of tumor viruses has played in driving many of the greatest breakthroughs is not. Without the insights gained by studying tumor viruses, many significant theoretical advancements over the last four decades in cellular and molecular biology would not have been made. More practically, the study of tumor viruses has saved thousands, if not millions, of lives. In Cancer Virus Hunters, Gregory J. Morgan traces the high points in the development of tumor virology, from Peyton Rous's pioneering work on chicken tumors in 1909 to the successful development of an HPV vaccine for cervical cancer in 2006. Morgan offers a novel approach to understanding the interconnectedness of a long series of biomedical breakthroughs, including those that led to seven Nobel prizes. Among other advances, Morgan describes and contextualizes the science that prompted the discoveries of reverse transcriptase, RNA splicing, the tumor suppressor p53, the vaccine for hepatitis B, and the HIV test. He also explores how "cancer virus hunters" have demonstrated the virtue of beginning with a simple system, even when investigating a complex disease like cancer. Based on extensive archival research and over fifty interviews with experts, Cancer Virus Hunters is a tour de force summarizing a century of research to show how discoveries made with tumor viruses came to dominate the contemporary understanding of cancer. By showcasing the scientists themselves, the book makes for an unusually accessible journey through the history of science. It will be of interest to biomedical professionals-especially in oncology, hepatology, and infectious disease-in addition to historians of science and anyone interested in cancer research.

Neurovirology is an interdisciplinary field representing a melding of virology, clinical neuroscience, molecular pathogenesis, diagnostic virology, molecular biology, and immunology. Neuroviral Infections: RNA Viruses and Retroviruses presents an up-to-date overview of the general principles of infections and major neuroviral infections caused by RNA viruses and retroviruses. It is designed for virologists, specialists in infectious diseases, teachers of virology, and postgraduate students of medicine, virology, neurosciences, and immunology.

Venom research and technology has advanced greatly, rapidly transforming the area of reptile venom. Research developments-like the development of molecular systematics-provide the framework necessary to reconstruct the evolutionary history of glands and fangs. Such research developments result in a fundamental shift in scientists' understanding of venom's evolution and usefulness in therapeutic development. Startling evolutionary expansion, including the development of new protein functions, enable the development of novel drug therapies and impact the effectiveness of anti-venoms available for the treatment of humans. Venomous Reptiles And Their Toxins is a comprehensive study of the entire scope of reptile venom, from its evolution to drug design and development. This book devotes a chapter to each toxin class found in reptile venom, detailing the full trajectory of research on the toxin in question. The comprehensive synthesis of research deals with the impact that venom has had on biomedical applications and snake evolution and ecology.

This accessibly written, comprehensive summary of research findings on the gut microbiome and its implications for health and disease-a topic of growing interest and concern-serves as an essential resource for teachers and students. Most people know that the digestive tract contains billions of helpful gut bacteria, but how does the gut microbiome affect our health? What exactly do these bacteria do, and what are the negative effects when these microorganisms are harmed by what we eat and do? What impacts might they have on conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), obesity, and autism? This book provides an accessible, holistic introduction to the study of the human gut microbiome and its effects on digestion and disease-one of the newest and most rapidly expanding fields in medicine today. The gut microbiome is known as "the forgotten organ" because it is not identified as part of the human body per se, yet it has an immense influence on many systems in the body. The Gut Microbiome: Exploring the Connection between Microbes, Diet, and Health explains what the microbiome is, the many functions it serves, how it can be either harmed or supported by our actions, and the role it may play in various diseases and in determining our overall health. The book examines the various potential causes of imbalance in the microbiome, such as diet and other lifestyle factors, and then identifies strategies for improving human health by protecting the gut microbiota. The science-based information is detailed but accessible to general readers or students without extensive background knowledge. Presents the most recent gut microbiome research in a way that is accessible to students interested in biological sciences and nutrition studies Includes engaging sidebars and case studies that serve to better illustrate the connections between gut microbiota, human physiology, and chronic disease Provides insight into the role of nutrition in shaping the gut microbiota and suggestions for improving human health

Clinical and preclinical exploration of gene and cellular immunotherapy have seen rapid growth and interest with the development and approval of five Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) products for lymphoma and myeloma and one Bispecific T-Cell Engager (BiTE) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). These advances have dramatically improved the management of patients with relapsed refractory lymphoma, myeloma and leukemia. Gene and Cellular Immunotherapy for Cancer offers readers a comprehensive review of current cellular and gene-based immunotherapies. Divided into eighteen cohesive chapters, this book provides an in-depth and detailed look into cellular-based immunotherapies including CAR-T, TCR-T, TIL, Viral CTLs, NK cells in addition to T/NK cell engagers, focusing on their historical perspectives, biology, development and manufacturing, toxicities and more. Edited by two leading experts on gene and cellular immunotherapy, the book will feature chapters written by a diverse collection of recognized and up-and-coming experts and researchers in the field, providing oncologists, immunologists, researchers and clinical and basic science trainees with a bench to bedside view of the latest developments in the field.

The importance of vaccines to combat bacterial diseases cannot be overstated. Methods used in the development and testing of these vaccines are evolving rapidly as a direct consequence of the availability of advanced technologies. This volume will cover methods developed in the last decade, the usage of which are enabling the development of cheaper, cost-effective and structurally stable vaccines for global use. Chapters cover in silico analytical methods such as reverse vaccinology and machine learning; low-energy electron irradiation for the generation of inactivated bacterial vaccines; methods for assessment of OMV/GMMA quality and stability; and controlled human infection models. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Bacterial Vaccines: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for novice and expert researchers interested in learning more about this important and constantly evolving field.