Systems and Synthetic Immunology


Book Description

Systems and Synthetic Immunology focuses on the similarities between biology and engineering at the systems level, which are important for applying engineering theories to biology problems. With the advent of new genomic techniques, there are numerous systematic investigations underway in the scientific world. This volume highlights techniques that can be used to effectively combine two of the most essential biological fields - Systems Biology and Synthetic Immunology. The respective chapters discuss the role of synthetic immunology in biotechnology, production of biomaterials, and their use in vaccine delivery. Further topics include the importance of cytokines; the use of genomic engineering tools in immunotherapy; immunosensors; nanotherapeutics; and bioinformatics tools in biomedical applications. Given its scope, the book offers readers an up-to-date and comprehensive review of this unique and dynamic field of research.




Rediscovering Cancer: From Mechanism to Therapy


Book Description

This volume presents a snapshot of some of the most important ongoing research in cancer. With cancer as the second leading cause of death worldwide, extensive research is going on globally to decipher the molecular mechanism underlying cancer that will help in finding better targets for drug therapy. The book brings together new research on molecular mechanism and cancer therapeutics in one place. With chapters from experts in their respective fields, chapters cover molecular mechanisms, etiology, prognosis, detection, and treatment of cancer. Emphasis has been given to the intricate mechanism behind the deregulation of cell division, disruption of cell cycle check points, mutation in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, apoptosis, and erratic cell signaling. The book discusses in detail topics such as angiogenesis and tumor microenvironment, which are increasingly receiving attention, especially in the field of neoplastic vascularization and metastasis. The book also includes chapters detailing the current understanding and the future perspective of cancer stem cells.




Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma


Book Description

In this book we provide insights into liver – cancer and immunology. Experts in the field provide an overview over fundamental immunological questions in liver cancer and tumorimmunology, which form the base for immune based approaches in HCC, which gain increasing interest in the community due to first promising results obtained in early clinical trials. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer related death in the United States. Treatment options are limited. Viral hepatitis is one of the major risk factors for HCC, which represents a typical “inflammation-induced” cancer. Immune-based treatment approaches have revolutionized oncology in recent years. Various treatment strategies have received FDA approval including dendritic cell vaccination, for prostate cancer as well as immune checkpoint inhibition targeting the CTLA4 or the PD1/PDL1 axis in melanoma, lung, and kidney cancer. Additionally, cell based therapies (adoptive T cell therapy, CAR T cells and TCR transduced T cells) have demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with B cell malignancies and melanoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in particular have generated enormous excitement across the entire field of oncology, providing a significant benefit to a minority of patients.




Cancer Immunotherapy: Mechanisms of Cancer Immunity, Engineering Immune- Based Therapies and Developing Clinical Trials


Book Description

Clinicians, patients and scientists, alike, have been battling cancer for over several decades; however, patient outcomes have not significantly improved over the years with conventional therapies. In recent years, this has caused researchers to look for a change in the status quo, and, the awareness of the human immune system, which has an intrinsic mechanism to control microbial pathogens and dysfunctional self-tissues, has triggered scientists to look for new modes of cancer therapy. Cancer Immunotherapy has become a major research field as a result of these efforts, gaining some recognition for notable breakthroughs in cancer patient prognosis. Frontiers in Cancer Immunology collectively presents the methods which have been studied and used in cancer immunotherapy based on the different components of human immune system. The series will give clinicians and immunologists a roadmap of current trends in all branches of cancer immunology. This volume lists the major immune system components (such as T cells and NK cells and associated antigens/antibodies) which have been demonstrated to limit the growth of or kill tumor cells. Relevant applications in cancer therapy are also included in addition to a general introduction to engineered as well as targeted cancer immunotherapies (cancer vaccines).







Understanding the Crosstalk Between Immune Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer and Its Implications for Immunotherapy


Book Description

One of the current challenges and failures of immunotherapy is in part due to the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) that provides a formidable barrier to immune infiltration and function. The TME consists of various cell types (tumor cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and immune cells), soluble signaling molecules (cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines), and extracellular matrix. On another note, metabolic disturbances in various TME components, such as hypoxia, acidosis, lactate accumulation, and nutrient deprivation, can play a critical role in the tumor progression. Furthermore, genetic and epigenetic dysfunctions are known to be part of the characteristics of cancer development. The immune cells could have a pro- or anti-tumor role in the TME, and their activity might vary in the context of different cancers. Both innate and adaptive immune cells interact with tumor cells through direct contact or through chemokines and cytokines signaling, shaping the tumor's activity and response to therapy.




Bone Tissue Engineering


Book Description

Focusing on bone biology, Bone Tissue Engineering integrates basic sciences with tissue engineering. It includes contributions from world-renowned researchers and clinicians who discuss key topics such as different models and approaches to bone tissue engineering, as well as exciting clinical applications for patients. Divided into four sections, t




Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy


Book Description

The interplay between tumors and their immunologic microenvironment is complex, difficult to decipher, but its understanding is of seminal importance for the development of novel prognostic markers and therapeutic strategies. The present review discusses tumor-immune interactions in several human cancers that illustrate various aspects of this complexity and proposes an integrated scheme of the impact of local immune reactions on clinical outcome. Current active immunotherapy trials have shown durable tumor regressions in a fraction of patients. However, clinical efficacy of current vaccines is limited, possibly because tumors skew the immune system by means of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, inflammatory type 2 T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), all of which prevent the generation of effector cells. To improve the clinical efficacy of cancer vaccines in patients with metastatic disease, we need to design novel and improved strategies that can boost adaptive immunity to cancer, help overcome Tregs and allow the breakdown of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.




Tumor-Induced Immune Suppression


Book Description

Tumor-Induced Immune Suppression - Prospects and Progress in Mechanisms and Therapeutic Reversal presents a comprehensive overview of large number of different mechanisms of immune dysfunction in cancer and therapeutic approaches to their correction. This includes the number of novel mechanisms that has never before been discussed in previous monographs. The last decades were characterized by substantial progress in the understanding of the role of the immune system in tumor progression. Researchers have learned how to manipulate the immune system to generate tumor specific immune response, which raises high expectations for immunotherapy to provide breakthroughs in cancer treatment. It is increasingly clear that tumor-induced abnormalities in the immune system not only hampers natural tumor immune surveillance, but also limits the effect of cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, it is critically important to understand the mechanisms of tumor-induced immune suppression to make any progress in the field and this monograph provides these important insights.