GI Microbiota and Regulation of the Immune System


Book Description

This book covers current trends in the investigation of GI microbiota. It examines the relationship between the microbiota and the immune system from a variety of angles.




Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids


Book Description

This is the first comprehensive volume to look at the importance of short-chain fatty acids in digestion, the function of the large intestine and their role in human health. Short-chain fatty acids are the major product of bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates in the human and animal large intestine. They represent the major end products of digestive processes occurring in the caecum and large intestine. As such, they form an important dietary component and it is increasingly recognised that they may have a significant role in protecting against large bowel cancer and in metabolism. Prepared by an international team of contributors who are at the forefront of this area of research, this volume will be an essential source of reference for gastroenterologists, nutritionists and others active in this area.




Janeway's Immunobiology


Book Description

The Janeway's Immunobiology CD-ROM, Immunobiology Interactive, is included with each book, and can be purchased separately. It contains animations and videos with voiceover narration, as well as the figures from the text for presentation purposes.




The Interplay of Microbiome and Immune Response in Health and Diseases


Book Description

[Increasing evidence suggests that microbiota and especially the gut microbiota (the microbes inhabiting the gut including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi) plays a key role in human physiology and pathology. Recent findings indicate how dysbiosis—an imbalance in the composition and organization of microbial populations—could severely impact the development of different medical conditions (from metabolic to mood disorders), providing new insights into the comprehension of diverse diseases, such as IBD, obesity, asthma, autism, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Given that microbial cells in the gut outnumber host cells, microbiota influences human physiology both functionally and structurally. Microbial metabolites bridge various—even distant—areas of the organism by way of the immune and hormone system. For instance, it is now clear that the mutual interaction between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain (gut–brain axis), often involves gut microbiota, indicating that the crosstalk between the organism and its microbial residents represents a fundamental aspect of both the establishment and maintenance of healthy conditions. Moreover, it is crucial to recognize that beyond the intestinal tract, microbiota populates other host organs and tissues (e.g., skin and oral mucosa). We have edited this eBook with the aim of publishing manuscripts focusing on the impact of microbiota in the development of different diseases and their associated treatments.]




The Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease


Book Description

The book provides an overview on how the gut microbiome contributes to human health. The readers will get profound knowledge on the connection between intestinal microbiota and immune defense systems. The tools of choice to study the ecology of these highly-specialized microorganism communities such as high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic mining will be presented. In addition the most common diseases associated to the composition of the gut flora are discussed in detail. The book will address researchers, clinicians and advanced students working in biomedicine, microbiology and immunology.







Nutrition and Immune Function


Book Description

This text provides a review of the roles of specific nutrients in maintaining the immune response and host protection against infection. It also considers the influence of various factors, such as exercise and ageing, on the interaction between nutrition and immune function.




Avian Immunology


Book Description

The second edition of Avian Immunology provides an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of avian immunology. From the ontogeny of the avian immune system to practical application in vaccinology, the book encompasses all aspects of innate and adaptive immunity in chickens. In addition, chapters are devoted to the immunology of other commercially important species such as turkeys and ducks, and to ecoimmunology summarizing the knowledge of immune responses in free-living birds often in relation to reproductive success. The book contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system, encompassing the mucosal, enteric, respiratory and reproductive systems. The diseases and disorders it covers include immunodepressive diseases and immune evasion, autoimmune diseases, and tumors of the immune system. Practical aspects of vaccination are examined as well. Extensive appendices summarize resources for scientists including cell lines, inbred chicken lines, cytokines, chemokines, and monoclonal antibodies. The world-wide importance of poultry protein for the human diet, as well as the threat of avian influenza pandemics like H5N1 and heavy reliance on vaccination to protect commercial flocks makes this book a vital resource. This book provides crucial information not only for poultry health professionals and avian biologists, but also for comparative and veterinary immunologists, graduate students and veterinary students with an interest in avian immunology. With contributions from 33 of the foremost international experts in the field, this book provides the most up-to-date review of avian immunology so far Contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system reviewing constitutive barriers, chemical and cellular responses; it includes a comprehensive review of avian Toll-like receptors Contains a wide-ranging review of the "ecoimmunology" of free-living avian species, as applied to studies of population dynamics, and reviews methods and resources available for carrying out such research




Microbial Endocrinology


Book Description

Microbial endocrinology represents a newly emerging interdisciplinary field that is formed by the intersection of the fields of neurobiology and microbiology. This book will introduce a new perspective to the current understanding not only of the factors that mediate the ability of microbes to cause disease, but also to the mechanisms that maintain normal homeostasis. The discovery that microbes can directly respond to neuroendocrine hormones, as evidenced by increased growth and production of virulence-associated factors, provides for a new framework with which to investigate how microorganisms interface not only with vertebrates, but also with invertebrates and even plants. The reader will learn that the neuroendocrine hormones that one most commonly associates with mammals are actually found throughout the plant, insect and microbial communities to an extent that will undoubtedly surprise many, and most importantly, how interactions between microbes and neuroendocrine hormones can influence the pathophysiology of infectious disease.




Immunology of the GI Tract


Book Description

The intestine is the largest digestive organ in the human body and one of the largest organs in contact with the outside world. In addition to digesting food to facilitate the absorption of nutrients, it has a variety of other functions, including the transmission of information and regulation of the metabolism. Due to its unique structure, the intestine is constantly exposed to various antigens and microbes. To protect the body from pathogens, while also maintaining a stable environment, the human intestinal tract has evolved unique regional immune characteristics maintained by the mature intestinal mucosal immune system. This intricate system involves intestinal epithelial cells, and intestinal lymphoid tissue composed of Peyer’s patches, isolated lymphoid follicles, mesenteric lymph nodes, and so on. The congenital and adaptive immune mechanisms created by the unique structure, function, and microenvironment of the intestine differ from those of the central and peripheral immune organs forming the regional immunity of the intestine. Intestinal flora also plays an important role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, altering the structure and function of the immune system, reshaping the immune microenvironment, and promoting interference with the development of specific diseases. In fact, the immune function of the intestinal region directly affects the development of many intestine-specific diseases. However, the integrity of this function depends on the expression of congenital genes and the regulation of the neuroendocrine system. The microenvironment created by intestinal flora and its products also affects the immunity of the intestinal region. In early life, appropriate intestinal colonization by specific microflora stimulates the maturation of the intestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. If the appropriate intestinal flora fails to form during this life stage, the function of the intestinal immune system becomes impaired, leading to increased incidence and/or morbidity of certain intestinal diseases, including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and others.