Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the classical etiological agent of diphtheria and the type strain of the genus Corynebacterium. While diphtheria of the respiratory tract became rare with the introduction of vaccination programs in industrialized countries, even today several thousand cases per year are reported to the World Health Organization. This shows that diphtheria is not completely eradicated and that reservoirs exist. The book summarizes the latest advances made in understanding C. diphtheriae and the closely related species Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Topics addressed are genomics of toxigenic corynebacteria, host-pathogen-interaction, detection, surveillance and treatment as well as application aspects.

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.

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) was discovered as the first human tumor virus around 50 years ago. Since its discovery in Burkitt's lymphoma it has been associated with various other malignancies, infectious mononucleosis and even autoimmune diseases. The two book volumes on EBV summarize the first 50 years of research on this tumor virus, starting with historical perspectives on discovery, oncogenicity and immune control, reviewing the role that the virus plays in the various associated diseases and concluding with a discussion on how the immune system keeps persistent EBV infection under control in healthy EBV carriers and can be used to treat EBV associated diseases. The respective 32 chapters are written by international experts from three continents for health care providers, biomedical researchers and patients that are affected by EBV. The assembled knowledge should help to understand EBV associated diseases better and to develop EBV specific vaccination in the near future.

Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been a high priority for vaccine development for over 50 years now, still no vaccine is available and none has yet demonstrated sufficient promise to move to licensure. The success of RSV immune prophylaxis and the availability of ever more powerful tools to study the immune response and pathogenesis of disease, combined with the ability to construct a wide variety of vaccines using different vaccine platforms, give us grounds to believe that an RSV vaccine is within reach. This book brings together in one source what is currently known about the virus: its clinical and epidemiologic features; the host response and pathogenesis of the disease; vaccines, vaccine platforms, and treatment; and animal and tissue culture models of RSV infection. It is designed to organize the critical information relevant to RSV vaccine development, facilitate the assimilation of data, and speed progress toward producing a safe and effective vaccine.

This book provides a survey of recent advances in the development of antibiofilm agents for clinical and environmental applications. The fact that microbes exist in structured communities called biofilms has slowly become accepted within the medical community. We now know that over 80% of all infectious diseases are biofilm-related; however, significant challenges still lie in our ability to diagnose and treat these extremely recalcitrant infections. Written by experts from around the globe, this book offers a valuable resource for medical professionals seeking to treat biofilm-related disease, academic and industry researchers interested in drug discovery and instructors who teach courses on microbial pathogenesis and medical microbiology.

Based on the third symposium on "Molecular Immunology of Complex Carbohydrates," this text covers the latest in glycotopes, structures and functions of complex carbohydrates, recognition factors of lectins, biomolecular interactions and other glycosciences. This volume highlights the informative events of the Symposium on Molecular Immunology of Complex Carbohydrates III, held at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, on July 15-20, 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan.

This book discusses recent developments in several laboratories studying leishmaniasis. Sequencing of the human genome, as well as of the leishmania genome, has led to significant advances in our understanding of host-immune responses against leishmania, and mechanisms of infection-induced pathology, which is responsible for morbidity and mortality. Pathogenesis of Leishmaniasis focuses on the latest basic research into leishmaniasis, but also addresses how advances in understanding can be applied to prevention, control and treatment of what the WHO has classified a neglected tropical disease.

Studies related to pathogen-mediated virus resistance in plants were instrumental in providing some of the historical observations which ultimately led to the vital discovery of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-induced gene silencing or RNA interference (RNAi), which has since revolutionized research on plant-virus interactions. In Antiviral Resistance in Plants: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used to study the phenomenon of RNA silencing in relation to viral infections of plants. These include methods and techniques for the isolation and quantitative/qualitative analyses of plant small 21-24 nucleotide RNAs such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as the analysis and manipulation of virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledenous plants and the use of hairpin RNA (hpRNA) transgenes. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Antiviral Resistance in Plants: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in the further study of this crucially important botanical trait.

This volume focuses on the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and its analogs in the induced sequestration of lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid organs or in the microenvironment of tissues involved in infection or autoimmune disease. Initial chapters define the pathways to understand S1P signaling. They cover the organization of signaling systems, the structural biology of the S1P1 receptor, and the chemical and genetic tools that are available and useful to explore this area of research and therapeutics. The later chapters highlight S1P and endothelial integrity, lymphocyte migration in the spleen, and S1P agonist in controlling immunopathologic manifestations of acute respiratory influenza virus infection (in the lung), and its accompanying cytokine storm as well as immunopathologic disease of the central nervous system, including the beginning of treatments in multiple sclerosis. One chapter reveals the possible involvement of other lipid molecules, their use for better understanding lipid signaling, and their potential in the modulation of immune responses.

Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery into Stem Cells and Embryos, by Pallavi Pushp, Rajdeep Kaur, Hoon Taek Lee, Mukesh Kumar Gupta. Engineering of Polysaccharides via Nanotechnology, by Joydeep Dutta. Hydroxyapatite-Packed Chitosan-PMMA Nanocomposite: A Promising Material for Construction of Synthetic Bone, by Arundhati Bhowmick, Subhash Banerjee, Ratnesh Kumar, Patit Paban Kundu. Biodegradable Polymers for Potential Delivery Systems for Therapeutics, by Sanjeev K. Pandey, Chandana Haldar, Dinesh K. Patel, Pralay Maiti. Phytomedicine-Loaded Polymeric Nanomedicines: Potential Cancer Therapeutics, by S. Maya, M. Sabitha, Shantikumar V. Nair, R. Jayakumar. Proteins and Carbohydrates as Polymeric Nanodrug Delivery Systems: Formulation, Properties and Toxicological Evaluation, by Dhanya Narayanan, J. Gopikrishna, Shantikumar V. Nair, Deepthy Menon. Biopolymeric Micro and Nanoparticles: Preparation, Characterization and Industrial Applications, by Anil Kumar Anal, Alisha Tuladhar. Applications of Glyconanoparticles as "Sweet" Glycobiological Therapeutics and Diagnostics, by Naresh Kottari, Yoann M. Chabre, Rishi Sharma, Rene Roy.

Although antiviral drugs have been successfully developed for some viral diseases, there remains a clear, unmet medical need to develop novel antiviral agents for the control and management of many viruses that currently have no or limited treatment options as well as a need to overcome the limitations associated with the existing antiviral drugs, such as adverse effects and emergence of drug-resistant mutations. The second edition of Antiviral Methods and Protocols features: All chapters are new and written by experts in the field, reflecting the major recent technical advances in antiviral research and discovery. This edition focuses on many important human viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), hepatitis viruses (hepatitis B and C viruses), herpes viruses, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza virus, while also featuring some important emerging viruses, such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, and chikungunya virus. As a volume in 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. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Antiviral Methods and Protocols, Second Edition will serve as an excellent laboratory reference for pharmaceutical and academic biologists, medicinal chemists, and pharmacologists as well as for virologists in the field of antiviral research and drug discovery.

The Common Cold vs. the Flu chart compares the causes, symptoms and treatment of these two respiratory problems. Images and text show normal & inflamed tissue, inflammation of the bronchial airway and middle ear infection. A point by point comparison chart is included. Heavy gauge 3ml lamination with sealed edges and two metal eyelets for hanging makes chart highly durable. Write-on/wipe-off with dry erase marker (not included).

This book represents proceedings of the 19th American Peptide Symposium. It highlights many of the recent developments in peptide science, with a particular emphasis on how these advances are being applied to basic problems in biology and medicine. Specific topics covered include novel synthetic strategies, peptides in biological signaling, post-translational modifications of peptides and proteins, and peptide quaternary structure in material science and disease.

The book presents current affairs of Sporotrichosis as emergent disease with emphasis on the potential factors associated with genetic polymorphisms in Sporothrix complex. Constitutive and inducible factors play an essential role in the response of the fungal cell to the environment as determinant in the immunopathogenicity, highlighting clinical forms of Sporotrichosis and host immunocompetence. Also, a current issue interest in zoonotic transmission showing that a cat is the animal species most affected by Sporothrix species and their importance in the involvement in the human transmission. Readers can associate parameters of experimental immune response to disease development as well as the diagnostic, prophylaxis, and therapies that can be applied in the near future.

In this volume, the authors provide an excellent overview of how far the plant viral vector field has come. The discipline is no longer exclusively in the domain of academics-there is a small, but growing number of small biotechnology companies that exploit plant viruses as the platform for commercial innovation in crop improvement, industrial product manufacturing, and human and veterinary health care.

Recent outbreaks of swine influenza and avian influenza, along with the remaining and in some cases expanding threats from HIV, dengue virus, and the viruses causing hepatitis, have reinforced the need for rapid, accurate and cost-effective diagnosis of viral disease. Diagnostic Virology Protocols, Second Edition brings the field fully up-to-date with a focus on protocols involving nucleic acid detection, most often through some form of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The expert contributors also delve into the key technology of robotics as well as future prospects, such as further refined point-of-care testing and the increasing importance of mathematical modelling. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include brief 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, Diagnostic Virology Protocols, Second Edition captures the dramatic changes in the virus diagnostic laboratory in order to better prepare scientists to combat the inevitable threats to public health from future and present infectious diseases.

This book will contain a series of solicited chapters that concern with the molecular machines required by viruses to perform various essential functions of virus life cycle. The first three chapters (Introduction, Molecular Machines and Virus Architecture) introduce the reader to the best known molecular machines and to the structure of viruses. The remainder of the book will examine in detail various stages of the viral life cycle. Beginning with the viral entry into a host cell, the book takes the reader through replication of the genome, synthesis and assembly of viral structural components, genome packaging and maturation into an infectious virion. Each chapter will describe the components of the respective machine in molecular or atomic detail, genetic and biochemical analyses, and mechanism. Topics are carefully selected so that the reader is exposed to systems where there is a substantial infusion of new knowledge in recent years, which greatly elevated the fundamental mechanistic understanding of the respective molecular machine. The authors will be encouraged to simplify the detailed knowledge to basic concepts, include provocative new ideas, as well as design colorful graphics, thus making the cutting-edge information accessible to broad audience.

Digenetic trematodes constitute a major helminth group that parasitize humans and animals, and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The diseases caused by trematodes have been neglected for years, especially as compared with other parasitic diseases. However, the geographical limits and the populations at risk are currently expanding and changing in relation to factors such as growing international markets, improved transportation systems, and demographic changes. This has led to a growing international interest in trematode infections, although factors such as the difficulties entailed in the diagnosis, the complexity of human and agricultural practices, the lack of assessments of the economic costs or the limited number of effective drugs are preventing the development of control measures of these diseases in humans and livestock. In-depth studies are needed to clarify the current epidemiology of these helminth infections and to identify new and specific targets for both effective diagnosis and treatments. The main goal of this book is to present the major trematodes and their corresponding diseases in the framework of modern parasitology, considering matters such as the application of novel techniques and analysis of data in the context of host-parasite interactions and to show applications of new techniques and concepts for the studies on digenetic trematodes. This is an ideal book for parasitologists, microbiologists, zoologists, immunologists, professional of public health workers, clinicians and graduate and post-graduate students.

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 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.

The global medical process is a chain of different medical multidisciplinary procedures. The success in global Patient Safety will depend on the Safety of the consecutive medical processes that intervene in this complex system. Laboratory data is an essential part of health care, indeed it is used in 70% of clinical decisions. Inappropriate laboratory test over requesting is extremely frequent. The prevalence of under requesting has been less studied. The consequences of under requesting are clear, we are missing a diagnosis. Inappropriate over requesting can result not only in a problem of cost but also in a problem regarding patient safety. Additionally, another important consequence of inappropriate tests over requesting is that such amount of unnecessary tests has probably contributed to a significant increase in the volume of those over the last years. In all, there is general consensus that the inadequacy of test requesting must be corrected through strategies and monitored over time through indicators to assure the optimal laboratory contribution to clinical decision-making and patient safety.

From Hippocrates to Lillian Wald-the stories of scientists whose work changed the way we think about and treat infection. Describes the genesis of the germ theory of disease by a dozen seminal thinkers such as Jenner, Lister, and Ehrlich. Presents the "inside stories" of these pioneers' struggles to have their work accepted, which can inform strategies for tackling current crises in infectious diseases and motivate and support today's scientists. Relevant to anyone interested in microbiology, infectious disease, or how medical discoveries shape our modern understanding This title is published by the American Society of Microbiology Press and distributed by Taylor and Francis in rest of world territories.

The type 2 immune response that develops during infectious disease has undergone major paradigm shifts in the last several years as new cell types and pathways have been identified. It is now clear that the type 2 immune response, characterized by elevations in specific cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, is associated with helminth infections in both humans and mice. This response is complex and includes effector functions that mediate resistance, contributing to expulsion and in some cases destruction, of the parasite. But just as importantly, the type 2 immune response can also mediate tolerance mechanisms, which can mitigate tissue injury as these large multicellular parasites transit through vital organs. The tolerance mechanisms include both tissue repair and immune regulatory effects. These latter aspects of the helminth-induced type 2 immune response are increasingly recognized as a potential resource that can be mined for the development of novel immunotherapies that may enhance wound healing, control of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and regulation of metabolic homeostasis. In this book, leading researchers in this exciting and dynamic field discuss the latest findings and emerging concepts, providing an intellectual framework that can be used as a basis for new discoveries and potentially new treatments for diseases associated with inflammation.

Viruses and RNAi share an intricate relationship at many levels. RNAi is an important antiviral defense mechanism in plants and invertebrates, microRNAs - of viral or cellular origin - affect many aspects of virus biology, and replication of many, if not all, mammalian viruses can be suppressed by RNAi. Antiviral RNAi: Concepts, Methods, and Applications provides a collection of protocols for the analysis of viral small RNAs and natural antiviral RNAi responses as well as for the development and optimization of RNAi-based antiviral drugs. As RNAi is a central regulatory mechanism in the cell, the methods in this volume can also be applied out of the context of a virus infection. Divided into five convenient parts, this detailed volume reviews important basic concepts in the field of antiviral RNAi, provides experimental and bio-informatic tools for the analysis of small silencing RNAs, covers methods to biochemically dissect RNAi-based antiviral defense and viral counter-defense mechanisms, describes methods for the design, expression, and delivery of therapeutic antiviral siRNAs, and finally presents genome-wide RNAi approaches for the identification of factors involved in virus replication. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Antiviral RNAi: Concepts, Methods, and Applications serves as an ideal guide for both novice and experienced researchers alike striving to dissect the role of RNAi in the viral life cycle or to further boost the development of novel therapeutics and experimental tools based on RNAi technology.

This volume presents a collection of reviews derived from work presented at the Aegean Conference: "4th Crossroads between innate and adaptive immunity". This meeting was the fourth 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 something necessary for 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. The conference had limited participation and a scientific and social program that maximized scientific interchange through lecture presentations, poster sessions and informal discussions.