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Books > Medicine > Other branches of medicine > Pathology > Medical microbiology & virology
Glycosylation is a common and extremely important modification
in biological molecules, particularly of proteins. "HIV Glycans in
Infection and Immunity"provides an overview of the roles of glycans
in the transmission/infection, antigenicity, and immunogenicity of
HIV and the HIV envelope glycoprotein. It explores recent advances
in the understanding of the impact of HIV glycans in infection and
their promise for immunological and therapeutic intervention.
Novel collaborations between glycobiologists and immunologists
in recent years have led to key advances in the understanding of
HIV glycans. These cross-disciplinary endeavors, their achievements
and their impact on the field are all addressed, herein."
Master Medicine: Microbiology and Infection is brief and
accessible, approached from the point of view of what you will need
to know in order to understand the clinical work you will
eventually be doing. It includes a wide range of self-assessment
material, ideal for testing your understanding, and helping you to
prepare for your exams. Concise synoptic (not telegraphic text).
Appropriate self-assessment material. Only covers core, so student
knows the whole book is essential. Includes key objectives.
Contains simple and memorable diagrams for reproduction in exams.
Ideal for learning as well as examination review, specifically
trying to stimulate the student into assessing his/her own
knowledge. The books in the series both complement other available
major texts, but also contain enough material to stand in the own
right. Provides examination practice. Part of co-ordinated series.
Contents refined to reflect 'core knowledge' Major revision of
self-assessment material to match change in exam styles (more
Extended Matching Questions and OSC-style questions)
Microbiological matters continue to exercise considerable influence
on product quality. In both the pharmaceutical and medical device
industries, products of greater sophistication, along with evolving
regulatory requirements, are elevating the challenges related to
maintaining microbiological integrity.
Updated to reflect technological and regulatory changes, the Guide
to Microbiological Control in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices,
Second Edition covers thoseprincipal aspects of microbiology that
arerelevant to the preformulation, formulation, manufacturing, and
license application stages involved with the production of
pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
In recognition of the diverse disciplines involved in
pharmaceutical and medical device production, this work provides a
brief introduction to microbiology geared towards the
nonmicrobiologist. Covering good manufacturing practice in the
control of contamination, the text explores quality control, the
preservation of formulations, and principles of sterilization,
including microbiological-specific considerations for
biotechnological products and other medical devices. It also
provides additional materials on package integrity and
contamination risks in clean rooms.
The editors have produced a companion text, the Handbook of
Microbiological Quality Control in Pharmaceuticals and Medical
Devices ("see reverse"), which when paired with the Guide offers a
complete theoretical and practical treatment of microbiological
control.
This book provides a comprehensive distillation of information
concerning methodology and regulations that would otherwise remain
scattered throughout the literature. It allows scientists frommany
fields to address potential problems in advance and implement
suitable strategies at the earliest stages of development.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of
cancer death in the United States. Annually approximately 30,000
Americans are diagnosed with the disease and most will die from it
within five years. P- creatic ductal adenocarcinoma is unique
because of its late onset in age, high mortality, small tumor
samples infiltrated with normal cells, and a lack of both early
detection and effective therapies. Some of these characteristics
have made studying this disease a challenge. Pancreatic cancer
develops as a result of the accumulation of genetic alterations in
cancer-causing genes, such as the oncogenes and the tumor-s-
pressor genes. In the last decade, major progress has been made in
identifying important oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes for the
disease. In Panc- atic Cancer: Methods and Protocols, we review the
classical techniques that have contributed to the advances in
pancreatic research and introduce new strategies that we hope will
add to future breakthroughs in the field of cancer biology.
Pancreatic Cancer: Methods and Protocols provides a broad range of
protocols for molecular, cellular, pathological, and statistical
analyses of s- radic and familial pancreatic cancer. It covers
topics from in vitro cell c- tures to in vivo mouse models, DNA to
protein manipulation, and mutation analyses to treatment
development. We believe that our book will prove an invaluable
source of proven protocols for those who are interested in either
basic or translational research in pancreatic cancer.
Since the publication of the first edition of Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology over a decade ago, a not-so-subtle shift in the
meaning of the term "biotechnology" has occurred. It has come to
mean something very specific, namely the development of drug
substances with large protein and polypeptide molecules. These
substances can be used as drugs in their own right but may also be
used to manipulate cellular DNA in order to produce a required
molecule that is believed to have desirable properties in the
treatment of a disease. Accordingly, the second edition of this
popular text reflects that change of definition by including new
material that explores the development of these protein-based
therapeutic substances. See what's new in the Second Edition:
-Expanded coverage of the formulation of proteins -Additional
information on proteins used as drug delivery systems -Detailed
discussion of interactions between proteins and phospholipids
-Increased information on proteomics and gene therapy -Exploration
of pulmonary administration and oral delivery of proteins -A broad
review of vaccines -Discussion of genetic engineering and genomics
-Challenges and issues involved in the development and the
production of a drug
Type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are highly versatile
membrane-associated transporter machines used by Gram-negative and
Gram-positive bacteria to deliver substrate molecules to a large
variety of target cells. This volume summarizes our current
knowledge of the large variety and structural diversity of T4SSs in
pathogenic Escherichia, Agrobacterium, Legionella, Coxiella,
Bartonella, Helicobacter, Enterococcus and other species. Divided
into 13 chapters contributed by leading experts, it presents
findings that significantly enhance our understanding of how
various pathogens manipulate host cell functions to trigger
bacterial uptake, promote intracellular growth, suppress defense
mechanisms and of how bacteria spread antibiotic resistances, thus
facilitating bacterial colonization and disease development. The
book is an invaluable source of information for researchers and
clinicians.
In multicellular organisms the establishment, maintenance, and
programmed alterations of cell-type specific gene expression
patterns are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Thus, epigenetic
alterations (DNA methylation, DNA associated Polycomb-Trithorax
protein complexes, histone modifications) ensure the unique
transcriptional activity and phenotypic diversity of diploid cells
that carry identical or nearly identical DNA sequences. Because DNA
methyltransferase I (DNMT1) associates with replication foci during
S phase and prefers hemimethylated DNA as a substrate, DNMT1
ensures the clonal propagation of cytosine methylation patterns
(maintenance methylation). Thus, DNA methylation may provide a
memory function by helping progeny cells to "remember" their proper
cellular identity. An alternative system of epigenetic memory, the
Polycomb and Trithorax groups of protein complexes, that may
operate both independently from and in concert with DNA
methylation, ensures the heritable regulation of gene expression
via modification of histone tails. The complex interplay of
epigenetic regulatory mechanisms permits both the dynamic
modulation of gene expression and the faithful transmission of gene
expression patterns to each progeny cell upon division. These
carefully orchestrated processes can go wrong, however, resulting
in epigenetic reprogramming of the cells that may manifest in
pathological changes, as it was first realized during the studies
of epigenetic alterations in malignant tumors. By now it became a
well established fact that not only genetic changes, but also the
disruption of epigenetic regulation can result in carcinogenesis
and tumor progression. Scientists working in other fields soon
followed the pioneering work of cancer researchers, and revealed
that epigenetic dysregulation forms the basis of a wide spectrum of
human diseases.
Apoptosis is a regulated, energy-dependent process by which a cell
se- destructs. This mechanism of programmed cell death plays an
important role in normal development and control of cell numbers in
mature a- mals. Apoptosis was initially defined by morphological
criteria to describe the distinctive appearance of dying cells that
developed nuclear conden- tion, cell shrinkage, and cytoplasmic
blebbing. Initiation of the apoptotic process can come from
external or internal stimuli and is highly regulated both by
molecules that facilitate and by molecules that inhibit the
process. Common features of apoptosis include activation of
proteases and - cleases, mitochondrial membrane permeabilization,
chromatin disruption, and translocation of phosphatidylserine from
the inner to the outer s- face of the plasma membrane. Apoptotic
cells attract phagocytes that - gulf the apoptotic bodies and
prevent tissue damage in the region. Intense investigation of the
cell death process has defined many molecular features of the
pathway by which regulation and execution can be exploited by
pathogens.
Filled with highly instructional visual images, this atlas covers typical and atypical presentations of microorganisms covering the breadth of clinical microbiology and offers insightful comments aiding their identification and clinical significance. It presents more than 425 colored photomicrographs harvested over the author's 40-year career augmented by an up to date text describing each microbial entity included. While not a text book, the photomicrographic accompaniment of microorganisms and their clinical presentation, should make the atlas of immense value for clinical microbiologists, medical, nursing, and laboratory students, and infectious diseases practitioners.
Prominent experts in biodefense research-many from the US Army
Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases-authoritatively
delineate the universe of scientific, medical, and legal issues
facing the biodefense research community. Regarding medical
countermeasures and decontamination, the authors describe the
treatment and pathogenesis of a variety of established pathogens
(anthrax, plague, smallpox, Brucellosis, Glanders, and Coxiella
burnettii) and review what is known about the aerosol route of
infection and decontamination processes. They also examine how to
discover the presence of these agents, or other previously unknown
biological weapons, and detail the ongoing efforts to counter these
agents, including proteomic and genomic analysis as a gateway to
better diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccinations, genotyping, and
forensics. Additional chapters discuss the development and use
technology to identify and characterize these infectious organisms,
emerging threats, and the development of countermeasures.
Book covers course with topics in infectious diseases in children
and is intended for Pediatric Infectious disease clinical
researchers, trainees, trainers, and all those who manage the
research of children with infections and the children themselves.
The conference is being supported by several societies and is
sponsored by several pharmaceutical companies, such as Aventis,
Baxter, Chiron Vaccines, Wyeth, etc. ToC reflects the scientific
program found here: http: //www.oxfordiic.org/#course
This is a review text on medical microbiology and immunology
containing approximately 625 board-type review questions on
left-hand pages with answers and explanations on facing right-hand
pages. It is designed for medical students taking microbiology as
well as for those studying for Step 1 of the National Board Exams
and is also useful for Step 3 National Boards on infectious
diseases or allergy and immunology. The book's main sections cover
general and medical microbiology, bacteriology, virology,
immunology, and parasitology. The answers summarize relevant
information and point out the fault in incorrect answers. Line
drawings and figures are used for questions concerning structure of
both molecules and organisms and for interpreting graphical
results. Authors Reese, Brownell, and Nair, all with the Medical
College of Georgia, bring a combined total of some 85 years of
medical school teaching experience to their development of the
questions and annotated answers for this book.
This innovative reference explores a wide selection of topics
associated with aging, providing a solid understanding of the
significance and molecular basis of the aging process and charting
the course of future research in the area. Stresses the interplay
of mitochondria, mitochondrial DNA, oxidants, and antioxidants!
Featuring the research of over 55 experts in the area,
Understanding the Process of Aging -covers the functions of nitric
oxide and peroxynitrite in mitochondria -integrates several views
on the role of mitochondria in the development of apoptosis -gives
a quantitative analysis of mutations of mitochondrial DNA during
human aging -highlights mitochondrial free radical production
-introduces new roles of ubiquinone in mitochondrial functions
-offers new antioxidant-based complementary therapeutic strategies
-details aspects of intact cells and whole organisms in health and
disease -and more! Featuring over 1800 references, tables,
drawings, and photographs, Understanding the Process of Aging
benefits nutritionists and dieticians, geriatricians, cell and
molecular biologists, chemists and biochemists, pharmacologists,
biotechnologists, neurologists, cardiologists, oncologists,
dermatologists, and graduate and medical school students in these
disciplines.
Varicella-zostervirus(VZV)isamedicallyimportanthumanherpesvirus,belo-
ingtothesubfamilyAlphaherpesviridae.
Thecapacitytopersistinsensoryneurons
isade?ningcharacteristicoftheAlphaherpesviridaesubgroupwhichalsoincludes
herpessimplexvirus1and2;likeVZV,simianvaricellavirus(SVV),pseudorabies
virus-1(PRV-1),andequineherpesvirus-1(EHV-1)belongtotheVaricellovirus
genus.
ThebasicelementsoftheinfectiouscycleofVZVinthehumanhostarethat
infectionofthena?vehostresultsinvaricella,commonlyknownaschickenpox,
latencyisestablishedinsensoryganglia,andreactivationcauseszosteror"sh-
gles. "Therelationshipbetweenthecausative agentofvaricellaandzoster
was
demonstratedmorethan100yearsagowhenchildreninoculatedwithmaterialfrom
zosterlesionswereshowntodevelopvaricella.
Thelocalizeddistributionofthe
zosterrashwasalsorecognizedasdemarcatingthedematomeinnervatedbyaxons
fromneuronsineachofthesensoryganglia.
Earlyelectronmicroscopystudies
showedthatvirusparticleswerepresentinhighconcentrationsinthevesicular
?uidfrombothvaricellaandzosterlesions,andVZVwasamongthe?rstviruses
propagatedinvitrobyJohnEndersandThomasWeller. Theintroductionofim-
nosuppressivetherapiesformalignancyledtoobservationssuggestingtheneed
forcell-mediatedimmunityinthehostresponsetovaricellaanditsroleinma-
tainingVZVlatency.
Fortunately,earlystudiesofthemolecularvirologyofVZV
revealedthatitwasinhibitedbyinterferencewiththethymidinekinasegene,and
thelife-threateningandoftenfatalVZVinfectionsexperiencedbythesepatients
becametreatablewithantiviraldrugs.
Subsequently,thecapacitytogrowVZVin
tissueculturewasexploitedtocreatealiveattenuatedVZVvaccinebyMichiaki
Tashihaki. Whilenowtakenforgranted,theseearlyinsightsaboutVZVandits
characteristicsasahumanpathogenaswellasthedevelopmentofeffectivean-
viral drugs and vaccines occurred over many decades. Importantly,
these early
observationssetthestagefortheremarkableprogressthathasbeenmadeinour
understandingofthemolecularbiologyofVZV,thesubtletiesofitstropismfor
differentiatedhumancells,includinglymphocytesaswellasskinandneurons,and
themechanismsbywhichthevirusachievesanequilibriumwiththehostsothatit
persistsnotjustintheindividualbutinthehumanpopulation. v vi Preface
Thepurposeofthisvolumeistoreviewkeyareasofprogressinthe?eldofVZV
research,aswellasworkontherelatedSVV,writtenbythosewhohavecontributed
manyofthenew? ndingsthathaveenrichedourknowledgeoftheuniquech-
acteristicsofthisubiquitoushumanpathogen. AlthoughtheVZVgenomeisthe
smallestamongthehumanherpesviruses,therapidlyacceleratingpaceofdiscovery
about VZV and VZV-host interactions re?ected in these reviews
promises to
continueasnewtoolsareavailableandnewhypothesesaregeneratedtoexplain
howVZVhascreatedandmaintaineditsnicheinthehuman"virome"Therelationshipbetweenthecausative
agentofvaricellaandzoster was
demonstratedmorethan100yearsagowhenchildreninoculatedwithmaterialfrom
zosterlesionswereshowntodevelopvaricella.
Thelocalizeddistributionofthe
zosterrashwasalsorecognizedasdemarcatingthedematomeinnervatedbyaxons
fromneuronsineachofthesensoryganglia.
Earlyelectronmicroscopystudies
showedthatvirusparticleswerepresentinhighconcentrationsinthevesicular
?uidfrombothvaricellaandzosterlesions,andVZVwasamongthe?rstviruses
propagatedinvitrobyJohnEndersandThomasWeller. Theintroductionofim-
nosuppressivetherapiesformalignancyledtoobservationssuggestingtheneed
forcell-mediatedimmunityinthehostresponsetovaricellaanditsroleinma-
tainingVZVlatency.
Fortunately,earlystudiesofthemolecularvirologyofVZV
revealedthatitwasinhibitedbyinterferencewiththethymidinekinasegene,and
thelife-threateningandoftenfatalVZVinfectionsexperiencedbythesepatients
becametreatablewithantiviraldrugs.
Subsequently,thecapacitytogrowVZVin
tissueculturewasexploitedtocreatealiveattenuatedVZVvaccinebyMichiaki
Tashihaki. Whilenowtakenforgranted,theseearlyinsightsaboutVZVandits
characteristicsasahumanpathogenaswellasthedevelopmentofeffectivean-
viral drugs and vaccines occurred over many decades. Importantly,
these early
observationssetthestagefortheremarkableprogressthathasbeenmadeinour
understandingofthemolecularbiologyofVZV,thesubtletiesofitstropismfor
differentiatedhumancells,includinglymphocytesaswellasskinandneurons,and
themechanismsbywhichthevirusachievesanequilibriumwiththehostsothatit
persistsnotjustintheindividualbutinthehumanpopulation. v vi Preface
Thepurposeofthisvolumeistoreviewkeyareasofprogressinthe?eldofVZV
research,aswellasworkontherelatedSVV,writtenbythosewhohavecontributed
manyofthenew?ndingsthathaveenrichedourknowledgeoftheuniquech-
acteristicsofthisubiquitoushumanpathogen. AlthoughtheVZVgenomeisthe
smallestamongthehumanherpesviruses,therapidlyacceleratingpaceofdiscovery
about VZV and VZV-host interactions re?ected in these reviews
promises to
continueasnewtoolsareavailableandnewhypothesesaregeneratedtoexplain
howVZVhascreatedandmaintaineditsnicheinthehuman"virome"sos-
cessfully. Further improvements in the clinical management of VZV
infection
shouldemergeinparallelwithbetterinsightsintoVZVmolecularvirologyand
pathogenesis. Stanford,CA,June,2010 AllisonAbendroth AnnM. Arvin
JenniferF. Moffat Contents TheVaricella-ZosterVirusGenome ...1
JeffreyI. Cohen VZVMolecularEpidemiology ...15 JudithBreuer
RolesofCellularTranscriptionFactorsinVZVReplication ...43 WilliamT.
Ruyechan
EffectsofVaricella-ZosterVirusonCellCycleRegulatoryPathways ...67
JenniferF. MoffatandRebeccaJ. Greenblatt
Varicella-ZosterVirusOpenReadingFrame66ProteinKinase
andItsRelationshiptoAlphaherpesvirusUS3Kinases ...79
AngelaErazoandPaulR. Kinchington
VZVORF47SerineProteinKinaseandItsViralSubstrates ...99 TeriK.
KenyonandCharlesGrose
OverviewofVaricella-ZosterVirusGlycoproteinsgC,gHandgL ...113
CharlesGrose,JohnE. Carpenter,WallenJackson,andKarenM. Duus
AnalysisoftheFunctionsofGlycoproteinsEandIandTheirPromoters
DuringVZVReplicationInVitroandinSkinandT-CellXenografts
intheSCIDMouseModelofVZVPathogenesis ...129 AnnM.
Arvin,StefanOliver,MikeReichelt,JenniferF. Moffat,
MarvinSommer,LeighZerboni,andBarbaraBerarducci
Varicella-ZosterVirusGlycoproteinM ...147
YasukoMoriandTomohikoSadaoka vii viii Contents
VaricellaZosterVirusImmuneEvasionStrategies ...155
AllisonAbendroth,PaulR. Kinchington,andBarrySlobedman
VZVInfectionofKeratinocytes:ProductionofCell-FreeInfectious
VirionsInVivo ...173 MichaelD. GershonandAnneA. Gershon
Varicella-ZosterVirusTCellTropismandthePathogenesis ofSkinInfection
...189 AnnM. Arvin,JenniferF. Moffat,MarvinSommer,StefanOliver,
XibingChe,SusanVleck,LeighZerboni,andChia-ChiKu
ExperimentalModelstoStudyVaricella-ZosterVirusInfection ofNeurons
...211 MeganSteain,BarrySlobedman,andAllisonAbendroth
MolecularCharacterizationofVaricellaZosterVirusinLatently
InfectedHumanGanglia:PhysicalStateandAbundanceofVZV
DNA,QuantitationofViralTranscriptsandDetection
ofVZV-Speci?cProteins ...229 YevgeniyAzarkh,DonGilden,andRandallJ.
Cohrs NeurologicalDiseaseProducedbyVaricellaZosterVirusReactivation
WithoutRash ...2 43 DonGilden,RandallJ.
Cohrs,RaviMahalingam,andMariaA. Nagel
Varicella-ZosterVirusNeurotropisminSCIDMouse-Human
DorsalRootGangliaXenografts ...255 L. Zerboni,M. Reichelt,andA.
Arvin RodentModelsofVaricella-ZosterVirusNeurotropism ...277
JeffreyI. Cohen SimianVaricellaVirus:MolecularVirology ...291
WayneL. Gray SimianVaricellaVirusPathogenesis ...309
RaviMahalingam,IlhemMessaoudi,andDonGilden
Varicella-ZosterVirusVaccine:MolecularGenetics ...323 D.
ScottSchmid VZVTCell-MediatedImmunity ...341
AdrianaWeinbergandMyronJ. Levin Contents ix
PerspectivesonVaccinesAgainstVaricella-ZosterVirusInfections ...359
AnneA. GershonandMichaelD. Gershon Index ...373 . Contributors
Allison Abendroth Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology,
UniversityofSydney,BlackburnBuilding,Room601,Camperdown,NSW 2006,
Australia and Centre for Virus Research, Westmead Millennium
Institute,Westmead,NSW2145,Australia,allison. abendroth@sydney.
edu. au AnnM. Arvin
StanfordUniversitySchoolofMedicine,G311,Stanford,CA
94305,USA,aarvin@stanford.
Filling a gap in the literature, this guide analyzes EBV infection
and all of its associated disorders including infectious
mononucleosis, Burkitt lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease. Opening
with a historical introduction, the reference progresses from
molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, and pathology to
clinical presentation, diagnosis, disease detection, patient
management, and vaccine development.
The genus Chlamydia encompasses a number of species of obligate
intracellular bacteria, including important human pathogens like
the most common bacterial agent of sexually transmitted disease.
This volume reviews current knowledge of chlamydial biology,
covering the unusual structure of the bacteria - which alternate
between metabolically almost inactive and fast-dividing forms. It
also discusses the ways in which Chlamydia manipulates the host
cytoskeleton and subverts the host cell's defence, and illustrates
how genomics have begun to uncover the diversity and complexity of
chlamydial strains that look very similar but may cause distinct
forms of disease. Further, it describes how techniques are now
finally being established that can genetically modify Chlamydia,
and discusses why such modification is still very difficult and
what progress we can expect. Lastly, it presents our current
understanding of chlamydial disease: what do we know about chronic
infections, what are the mechanisms of inflammatory damage, and
what are the prospects of a vaccine? Written be specialists in
these various areas, the book is a valuable work of reference for
students and scientists with an interest in the molecular, cellular
and immunobiology of these fascinating bacteria.
Human Vaccines: Emerging Technologies in Design and Development
discusses the advances in molecular biology, biophysics, and
informatics-among other disciplines-that have provided scientists
with the tools to create new vaccines against emerging and
re-emerging pathogens. For example, the virus-like particle
technologies that led to licensing of highly efficacious HPV
vaccines have only come into full realization in the last 10 years.
Their success has, in turn, accelerated the pace with which
nanoparticle vaccines are being developed Given the rapidity with
which the field is changing and the absence of any text documenting
this change, there is a need for a resource that surveys these new
vaccine technologies, assesses their potential, and describes their
applications. This book provides that resource and complements
traditional vaccinology books, but also serves as an excellent
standalone for researchers and students with basic knowledge in
immunology.
Metabolomics and Microbiomics: Personalized Medicine from the Fetus
to the Adult encompasses the most recent advances on the usage of
metabolomics and microbiome research to improve disease diagnosis
and healthcare. Medicine is changing from epidemiologic,
descriptive, reductionist, and reactive approaches to
individualized, predictive, and holistic ones by applying
microbiomics to understand the functionality of the human body. The
book discusses topics such as systems biology approaches, omics
technologies, perinatal programming, and personalized medicine. It
also discusses the ethical implications of microbiomics research
and new pathways of research, such as renal regenerative medicine,
gender medicine in perinatology, and animals and the science of
healing. The book is a valuable resource for medical professionals
and researchers in metabolomics, nutrition, microbiology, and
personalized-predictive medicine. The book also will appeal to
non-specialized professionals who may take advantage of its
captivating and simple language.
Macrophages are a key component of the innate immune system and
play an integral role in host defense and homeostasis. On one hand,
these cells contribute to host defence by triggering inflammation,
displaying microbicidal/tumoricidal properties, regulating the
activation of adaptive immunity and promoting resolution of
inflammation. On the other hand, they contribute to essential
trophic functions such as neural patterning, bone morphogenesis and
ductal branching in mammary glands. Thus, macrophages are extremely
versatile cells that can respond efficiently to tissue micro
environmental cues by polarizing to distinct phenotypes, depending
on the functions they need to perform. Indeed, functional diversity
and plasticity are hallmarks of these cells.
Macrophages may also play a detrimental role. An overwhelming
body of literature has indicated their crucial role in
pathogenesis. The list includes sepsis, cancer, metabolic syndrome,
immunodeficiency, auto-immune disease-virtually impacting every
major pathology that we know. These observations have suggested
macrophages and their related molecules as potential targets in
therapeutic applications. Available evidence proclaims macrophages
as a key player in homeostasis, host defense and disease. Crucial
developments in the past few years call for a re-evaluation and
update of our understanding of macrophages. The present book is an
endeavour that attempts provide state-of-the art knowledge of these
cells in health and disease.
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