Regulation of Cytokine Gene Expression in Immunity and Diseases


Book Description

This book explores the major cytokines, such as IL-1 and IFN-γ, with respect to the regulation of their gene expression and protein production in specific immune cell types. It discusses both healthy physiological settings and in pathological situations in which the expression of some cytokines could be dysregulated, resulting in either immunodeficiency or exacerbated inflammatory sequelae in animal models as well as in human patients. Cytokines are important regulators of immune responses that require the highly coordinated participation and communication of multiple cell types. The expression of cytokines by various producer cell types is therefore carefully regulated in response to environmental cues at multiple levels: transcription, translation and posttranslational modification. Presenting cutting-edge advances in our understanding of the regulation of cytokine expression, this book is a valuable resource for anyone involved or interested in immune regulation.




SIDS Sudden Infant and Early Childhood Death


Book Description

This volume covers aspects of sudden infant and early childhood death, ranging from issues with parental grief, to the most recent theories of brainstem neurotransmitters. It also deals with the changes that have occurred over time with the definitions of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), SUDI (sudden unexpected death in infancy) and SUDIC (sudden unexpected death in childhood). The text will be indispensable for SIDS researchers, SIDS organisations, paediatric pathologists, forensic pathologists, paediatricians and families, in addition to residents in training programs that involve paediatrics. It will also be of use to other physicians, lawyers and law enforcement officials who deal with these cases, and should be a useful addition to all medical examiner/forensic, paediatric and pathology departments, hospital and university libraries on a global scale. Given the marked changes that have occurred in the epidemiology and understanding of SIDS and sudden death in the very young over the past decade, a text such as this is very timely and is also urgently needed.







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




Cytokines: Interleukins and Their Receptors


Book Description

Over the last decade, cytokine research has emerged as one of the most exciting and critical fields for providing fundamental knowledge of normal and abnormal human development. Today, it is apparent that cytokines orchestrate growth from the early embryonic stage to maturity and are responsible for the normal function of virtually every organ system. Furthermore, virtually all disease states have been associated, at least in part, with cytokine aberrations. In this volume, the editors have brought together internationally known experts in the field of interleukin research to provide a comprehensive review of the biology of the interleukins and their role in both health and illness, while maintaining a balance between the basic science and clinical aspects. Cytokines: Interleukins and their Receptors should be of interest to a wide variety of researchers including clinical hematologists, oncologists, immunologists, in addition to medical and PhD students and researchers with an interest in cytokines.




Type 2 Immunity


Book Description

This book provides researchers the opportunity to investigate type-2-associated diseases in their laboratories. Beginning with chapters describing various models of type-2 immunity, the volume then continues by detailing cellular protocols designed to identify, characterize, and assess the function of key adaptive and innate immune cells involved in type-2 inflammation; approaches to isolate and evaluate specific cellular subsets at the genetic, epigenetic, and molecular level; protocols to assess type-2 immunity and its relationship to organismal and metabolic systems (ex. Microbiome). This book concludes with a section that explores the use of primary human cells in evaluating relevance to the clinic. Written in the highly 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 laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Vital and authoritative, Type 2 Immunity: Methods and Protocols aims to provide a broad network of methods that can be used to develop a hypothesis and investigate its potential from bench to beside.




The Cytokine Factsbook and Webfacts


Book Description

Completely revised and expanded, this second edition of The Cytokine FactsBook is the most up-to-date reference manual available for all current well-characterized interleukins, cytokines, and their receptors. An additional 52 cytokines are included, doubling the number of entries from the previous edition. The key properties of each cytokine are described and presented in a very accessible format with diagrams for each of the receptors. The Cytokine FactsBook includes free online access to the regularly updated Cytokine Webfacts. Cytokine Webfacts is a web-based comprehensive compendium of facts about cytokines and their receptors that includes a variety of data representations, such as text, signal pathway diagrams and 3D images. This exciting resource is integrated into other databases via hypertext links to provide a unique network, and contains a web-enabled version of RasMol for viewing structures.




Cooperation of Liver Cells in Health and Disease


Book Description

It is only during the last decade that the functions of sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, pit cells and other intrahepatic lymphocytes have been better understood. The development of methods for isolation and co-culturing various types of liver cells has established that they communicate and cooperate via secretion of various intercellular mediators. This monograph summarizes multiple data that suggest the important role of cellular cross-talk for the functions of both normal and diseased liver. Special features of the book include concise presentation of the majority of detailed data in 19 tables. Original schemes allow for the clear illustration of complicated intercellular relationships. This is the first ever presentation of the newly emerging field of liver biology, which is important for hepatic function in health and disease and opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions.







Nijkamp and Parnham's Principles of Immunopharmacology


Book Description

Principles of Immunopharmacology provides a unique source of essential knowledge on the immune response, its diagnosis and its modification by drugs and chemicals. The 4th edition of this internationally recognized textbook has been revised to include recent developments, but continues the established format, dealing with four related fields in a single volume, thus obviating the need to refer to several different textbooks. The first section of the book, providing a basic introduction to immunology and its relevance for human disease, has been updated to accommodate new immunological concepts, particularly the role of epigenetics and the latest understanding of cancer immunology. The second section on immunodiagnostics offers a topical description of widely used molecular techniques and a new chapter on imaging techniques. This is followed by a systematic coverage of drugs affecting the immune system, including natural products. This third section contains 15 updated chapters, covering classical immunopharmacological topics such as anti-asthmatic, anti-rheumatic and immunosuppressive drugs, but also deals with antibiotics, plant-derived and dietary agents, with new chapters on monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy in sepsis and infection, drugs for soft-tissue autoimmunity and cell therapy. The book concludes with a chapter on immunotoxicology and drug safety tests. Aids to the reader include a two-column format, glossaries of technical terms and appendix reference tables. The emphasis on illustrations is maintained from the first three editions. The book is a valuable single reference for undergraduate and graduate medical and biomedical students, postgraduate chemistry and pharmacy students, researchers in chemistry, biochemistry and the pharmaceutical industry and researchers lacking basic immunological knowledge, who want to understand the actions of drugs on the immune system.