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 Interface Between Innate and Acquired Immunity


Book Description

All multicellular organisms may possess innate immunity mediated by defense mechanisms with which the organism is born. In recent years much has been learned about the diversity of innate immune mechanisms. A large array of naturally produced antimicrobial peptides has been de fined. A variety of cell surface receptors that recognize common patterns displayed by infectious organisms have been identified along with the intracellular pathways that these receptors use to activate cellular defense functions. Cell surface receptors on natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to sense microbial invasion in neighboring cells, thereby setting into motion their elimination by cy totoxic mechanisms. Other receptors have been found to facilitate phagocytosis and intracellular killing of microbes by phagocytic cells. These and other natural defense mechanisms have traditionally been viewed as the first line of body defense in vertebrate species that also possess the capacity for acquired or adaptive immunity. Sharks and all of the other jawed vertebrates generate large repertoires of T and B lymphocyte clones that display different antigen specific receptors in the form ofT cell receptors (TCR) and immunoglobulins (Ig) that allow them to recognize and respond to antigens in collaboration with antigen-present ing cells. Memory T and B cells are then generated to allow faster and heightened cellular and humoral immune re sponses on secondary antigen encounter. In recent years it has also become obvious that innate immune responses can directly influence adaptive immune responses in ways that will enhance body defense.




Complement Regulatory Proteins


Book Description

From small beginnings in the early 1970s, the study of complement regulatory proteins has grown in the last decade to the point where it dominates the complement field. This growth has been fueled by the discovery of new regulators, the cloning of old and new regulators, the discovery that many of the regulators are structurally and evolutionarily related to each other and the development of recombinant forms for use in therapy. There are now more proteins known to be involved in controlling the complement system than there are components of the system and the list continues to grow. The time is ripe for a comprehensive review of our current knowledge of these intriguing proteins. This book does just that. The first few chapters discuss the "nuts-and-bolts" of the complement regulators, describing their structures, functional roles and modes of action. The roles of the complement regulators in vivo are then described, focusing on the consequences of deficiency, roles in the reproductive system, interactions with pathogens and exploitation for therapy. The interesting developments in defining the complement regulators expressed in other species are also discussed. The book is written as a monograph, albeit by two people. The text is as readable as possible without compromising on scientific accuracy and completeness. The conversational style very evident in some sections is deliberate! Placing all references in a single bibliography at the end of the text further improves readability. The reader will go to the book to discover a specific fact but be persuaded to read more and derive pleasure from the process. The authors' enthusiasm for the subject comes over strongly in the text, and this enthusiasm proves infectious. - Complement regulators--structure, functional roles and mode of action - Comprehensive reviews of each of the individual regulators - Roles of Complement regulators in vivo,in health and disease: - Consequences of deficiency - Roles in the reproductive system - Interactions with pathogens - Exploitation for therapy - Complement regulators in other species




Neuroinflammation in Stroke


Book Description

The successful treatment of acute stroke remains one of the major challenges in clinical medicine. Over the last decades, the understanding of stroke pathophysiology has greatly improved, while the therapeutic options in stroke therapy remain very limited. Today, hyperacute mechanisms of damage, such as excitotoxicity, can be discriminated from delayed ones, such as inflammation and apoptosis. Targeting of inflammation has already been successfully applied in various stroke models, but translation into a clinically efficacious strategy has not been achieved so far. In this book, leading experts in basic cerebrovascular research as well as stroke treatment review the current evidence for and against an important role for inflammation in stroke, and explore the potential of treating or modulating inflammation in stroke therapy.




Origin and Evolution of the Vertebrate Immune System


Book Description

The comparative approach to immunology can be traced to the era of Pasteur and Metchnikov in which observations regarding foreign recognition in invertebrates was a factor in the develop ment of the principal concepts that created the foundation of what now is the broad field of immunology. With each major experimental and conceptual breakthrough, the classical, albeit essential, question has been asked "are the immune systems of phylogenetically primitive vertebrates and invertebrates similar to that of mammals?" Somewhat surprisingly for the jawed verte brates, the general answer has been a qualified form of "yes", whereas for agnathans and invertebrate phyla it has been "no" so far. The apparent abruptness in the appearance of the immune system of vertebrates is linked to the introduction of the somatic generation of the diversity of its antigen specific receptors. Therefore the questions regarding the origin and evolution of the specific immune system revolve around this phenomenon. With respect to the origin of the system (aside from the or igin of the rearranging machinery itself, the study of which is still in its infancy) one can ask questions about the cellular and mo lecular contexts in which the mechanism was introduced.




The Human Complement System in Health and Disease


Book Description

This authoritative, single-source reference provides comprehensive examinations of the complement system-offering recent findings in basic science on the structure, biology, physiology, and pathophysiology of complement proteins and the latest therapeutic approaches towards the control of complement-mediated diseases. Written by over 40 international experts from North America, Europe, and Asia, The Human Complement System in Health and Disease describes the molecular architecture of the complement system details the structure of complement genes discusses gene organization as well as the topology and chemistry of ligand-binding sites and catalytic centers of complement proteins analyzes complement organization and activation, including phylogeny and the newly discovered lectin pathway elucidates the regulation of complement gene expression and the structure and function of bioactive peptides explicates opsonic and immunoregulatory properties of complement fragments, endothelial responses, and interactions with viruses and bacteria and more!







The Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders


Book Description

A practical guide to perioperative cognitive disorders, the most common complications of anesthesia and surgery in older people.




Handbook of Human Immunology


Book Description

Since the publication of the first edition of the Handbook of Human Immunology in 1997, major scientific achievements have directly contributed to an increased understanding of the complexities of the human immune system in health and disease. Whether as a result of the sequencing of the entire human genome, or of technological advancements, severa