Innovative Medicine


Book Description

This book is devoted to innovative medicine, comprising the proceedings of the Uehara Memorial Foundation Symposium 2014. It remains extremely rare for the findings of basic research to be developed into clinical applications, and it takes a long time for the process to be achieved. The task of advancing the development of basic research into clinical reality lies with translational science, yet the field seems to struggle to find a way to move forward. To create innovative medical technology, many steps need to be taken: development and analysis of optimal animal models of human diseases, elucidation of genomic and epidemiological data, and establishment of “proof of concept”. There is also considerable demand for progress in drug research, new surgical procedures, and new clinical devices and equipment. While the original research target may be rare diseases, it is also important to apply those findings more broadly to common diseases. The book covers a wide range of topics and is organized into three complementary parts. The first part is basic research for innovative medicine, the second is translational research for innovative medicine, and the third is new technology for innovative medicine. This book helps to understand innovative medicine and to make progress in its realization.




B Cell Receptor Signaling


Book Description

This volume details our current understanding of the architecture and signaling capabilities of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) in health and disease. The first chapters review new insights into the assembly of BCR components and their organization on the cell surface. Subsequent contributions focus on the molecular interactions that connect the BCR with major intracellular signaling pathways such as Ca2+ mobilization, membrane phospholipid metabolism, nuclear translocation of NF-kB or the activation of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase and MAP kinases. These elements orchestrate cytoplasmic and nuclear responses as well as cytoskeleton dynamics for antigen internalization. Furthermore, a key mechanism of how B cells remember their cognate antigen is discussed in detail. Altogether, the discoveries presented provide a better understanding of B cell biology and help to explain some B cell-mediated pathogenicities, like autoimmune phenomena or the formation of B cell tumors, while also paving the way for eventually combating these diseases.




Immune Rebalancing


Book Description

Immune Rebalancing: The Future of Immunosuppression summarizes the most promising perspectives of immunopharmacology, in particular in the area of immunosuppression by considering molecular pathways, personalized medicine, microbiome and nanomedicine. Modulation of immune responses for therapeutic purposes is a particularly relevant area, given the central role of anomalous immunity in diseases. These diseases vary from the most typically immune-related syndromes (autoimmune diseases, allergy and asthma, immunodeficiencies) to those in which altered immunity and inflammation define the pathological outcomes (chronic infections, tumours, chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, etc. - Visits immunosuppression from a modern point of view of signalling mechanisms at the light of the current knowledge of signalling mechanisms and regulatory networks allows the reader to formulate new ideas and concepts on how to use immunosuppression the therapeutic purposes - Encourages researchers to engage into exploring the field of pharmacological modulation of immune responses in depth, and with the new knowledge and tools available, designs more effective therapeutic strategies to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, degenerative diseases and infections - Examines the link between molecular pathways associated to immune-suppression and the new immunopharmacology approaches - Provides information on the new strategies for drug development in this field - Considers the role of microbes in the development of the mammalian immune system and immune responses, which will widen the reader's strategy for addressing therapeutic immune modulations




Precision Medicine and Artificial Intelligence


Book Description

Precision Medicine and Artificial Intelligence: The Perfect Fit for Autoimmunity covers background on artificial intelligence (AI), its link to precision medicine (PM), and examples of AI in healthcare, especially autoimmunity. The book highlights future perspectives and potential directions as AI has gained significant attention during the past decade. Autoimmune diseases are complex and heterogeneous conditions, but exciting new developments and implementation tactics surrounding automated systems have enabled the generation of large datasets, making autoimmunity an ideal target for AI and precision medicine. More and more diagnostic products utilize AI, which is also starting to be supported by regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Knowledge generation by leveraging large datasets including demographic, environmental, clinical and biomarker data has the potential to not only impact the diagnosis of patients, but also disease prediction, prognosis and treatment options. - Allows the readers to gain an overview on precision medicine for autoimmune diseases leveraging AI solutions - Provides background, milestone and examples of precision medicine - Outlines the paradigm shift towards precision medicine driven by value-based systems - Discusses future applications of precision medicine research using AI - Other aspects covered in the book include regulatory insights, data analytics and visualization, types of biomarkers as well as the role of the patient in precision medicine




Chronic Illness, Vulnerability and Social Work


Book Description

Whilst the body has recently assumed greater sociological significance, there has been less engagement in social work and social care on the bodily experience of health, illness and disease. This innovative volume redresses the balance by exploring chronic illness and social work, through the specific lens of autoimmunity, engaging in wider debates around vulnerability, resistance and the lived experience of ongoing ill-health. Moving beyond existing conceptualisations of vulnerability as an issue of mental distress, ageing, child protection and poverty, Price and Walker demonstrate the role that society has to play in actively engaging the physical body, rather than working around and through it. The book focuses on auto-immune conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. Conditions like these allow for an exploration of the materiality of illness which exacerbates social and economic vulnerability and may precipitate personal and social crises, requiring a variety of interventions and support. The risks and challenges associated with chronic illness include disruptions to a sense of self and identity, altered relationships and the renegotiation of roles and responsibilities in a variety of relationships in addition to an economic impact, with the potential for disruption to employment status and financial insecurity. This text opens up a range of debates around some of the central concerns of the social work profession, including vulnerability, ill-health, and independence. It will be of interest to scholars and students of social work, nursing, disability studies, medicine and the social sciences.




The Mosaic of Autoimmunity


Book Description

This book comprehensively sets out the common aetiopathogenetic mechanisms shared by many, apparently diverse, diseases of the immune system. Unlike most other texts it does not emphasise the differences between autoimmune diseases, but establishes their many common links including hormonal effects, dietary and immunogenetic influences, complement deficiencies and environmental factors. Special attention is given to the effects of ageing and the relationship with malignancies. The scope of the book is very broad so as to cover the integration of the many diverse components which interact to cause autoimmunity, and it contains many 1988 and 1989 references and over 100 figures and tables, offering an attractive, up-to-date guide to modern concepts. It will greatly assist immunologists wishing to enter the field of autoimmunity, and will serve as an invaluable reference work for those already working in it.




An Epidemic of Absence


Book Description

A controversial, revisionist approach to autoimmune and allergic disorders considers the perspective that the human immune system has been disabled by twentieth-century hygiene and medical practices.




Vaccines and Autoimmunity


Book Description

In light of the discovery of Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants, or ASIA, Vaccines and Autoimmunity explores the role of adjuvants – specifically aluminum in different vaccines – and how they can induce diverse autoimmune clinical manifestations in genetically prone individuals. Vaccines and Autoimmunity is divided into three sections; the first contextualizes the role of adjuvants in the framework of autoimmunity, covering the mechanism of action of adjuvants, experimental models of adjuvant induced autoimmune diseases, infections as adjuvants, the Gulf War Syndrome, sick-building syndrome (SBS), safe vaccines, toll-like receptors, TLRS in vaccines, pesticides as adjuvants, oil as adjuvant, mercury, aluminum and autoimmunity. The following section reviews literature on vaccines that have induced autoimmune conditions such as MMR and HBV, among others. The final section covers diseases in which vaccines were known to be the solicitor – for instance, systemic lupus erythematosus – and whether it can be induced by vaccines for MMR, HBV, HCV, and others. Edited by leaders in the field, Vaccines and Autoimmunity is an invaluable resource for advanced students and researchers working in pathogenic and epidemiological studies.




Perspectives on Autoimmunity


Book Description

First Published in 1988, this book offers a full, comprehensive guide to autoimmunity. Carefully compiled and filled with a vast repertoire of notes, diagrams, and references this book serves as a useful reference for students of medicine, and other practitioners in their respective fields.




The Autoimmune Epidemic


Book Description

From the Foreword: [An] astounding book . . . put simply, there is no doubt that autoimmune diseases are on the rise and increasing environmental exposures of toxins and chemicals is fueling this rise.--Dr. Douglas Kerr, Director, Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center.