This volume is a product of a collaborative effort and attempts to provide a wide and up-to-date coverage of information regarding the biology and on the potential application of immunostimulatory DNA. ISS hold great promise for influencing the immune response and the authors anticipate that the high efficacy and low toxicity observed in animal models will translate into success in a variety of human clinical applications.
The induction of antigen-specific immune responses after in vivo transfection with expression plasmids has triggered a revolution of vaccine research. After a first hype, evoked by the fascinating options of this method, clinical studies did not reach the ambitious aims and a phase of disillusion ensued. It became obvious that Gene vaccines displayed a weaker immunogenicity in humans than had been observed in the mouse models. Meanwhile these hurdles have been overcome and gene vaccines undergo a renaissance. The present book gives an update of the “world of naked gene vaccines”, namely DNA and RNA vaccines. Its content ranges from general mechanisms, inherent immunostimulatory properties and the vast potential to modulate immune responses, to recent successful clinical studies and approved veterinary gene vaccines. Beyond the state-of-the-art of genetic immunization, the reader will be stimulated with a chapter addressing “burning questions”.
Leading researchers review the activation of the mammalian immune system by bacterial DNA and its immunostimulatory sequences (ISS), and consider the applications of ISS in clinical medicine. The authors survey the latest findings concerning the receptor-recognition and signaling pathways triggered by ISS , the process of cell activation, and the potential vaccination strategies using ISS. Specific pharmaceutical applications discussed include infectious disease (Hepatitis B, HIV, and mycobacterial infections), allergy (asthma and conjunctivitis), cancer (lymphoma), and inflammation and autoimmunity (arthritis and colitis).
Mucosal immunology is so important since most infectious agents enter the body through the various mucous membranes, and many common infections take place in or on mucous membranes. Mucosal Immunology, now in its third edition, is the only comprehensive reference covering the basic science and clinical manifestations of mucosal immunology. This book contains new research data, exceptional illustrations, original theory, a new perspective and excellent organization. - The most comprehensive text on mucosal immunology from internationally recognized experts in the field - Includes exceptional color illustrations, new research data, original theory and information on all mucosal diseases - Contains nine new chapters and an expanded appendix
Making Peace with Microbes Public sanitation and antibiotic drugs have brought about historic increases in the human life span; they have also unintentionally produced new health crises by disrupting the intimate, age-old balance between humans and the microorganisms that inhabit our bodies and our environment. As a result, antibiotic resistance now ranks among the gravest medical problems of modern times. Good Germs, Bad Germs addresses not only this issue but also what has become known as the "hygiene hypothesis"— an argument that links the over-sanitation of modern life to now-epidemic increases in immune and other disorders. In telling the story of what went terribly wrong in our war on germs, Jessica Snyder Sachs explores our emerging understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the human body and its resident microbes—which outnumber its human cells by a factor of nine to one! The book also offers a hopeful look into a future in which antibiotics will be designed and used more wisely, and beyond that, to a day when we may replace antibacterial drugs and cleansers with bacterial ones—each custom-designed for maximum health benefits.
Advances in Immunology presents current developments as well as comprehensive reviews in immunology. Articles address the wide range of topics that comprise immunology, including molecular and cellular activation mechanisms, phylogeny and molecular evolution, and clinical modalities. Edited and authored by the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for future research. - Interactions between NK Cells and B Lymphocytes - Multitasking of helix-loop-helix proteins in lymphopoiesis - The pathogenesis of Diabetes in the NOD Mouse
Immunology of Infection, 2nd Edition, edited by two leading experts in the field, presents the most appropriate up-to-date experimental approaches in the detail required for modern microbiological research. Focusing on the methods most useful for the Microbiologist interested in analysing host-pathogen relationships, this volume will be essential reading for all researchers working in microbiology, immunology, virology, mycology and parasitology. This new edition of Immunology of Infection provides ready-to-use "recipes", and the latest emerging techniques as well as novel approaches to the tried and tested, established methods included in the successful first edition. Methods in Microbiologyis the most prestigious series devoted to techniques and methodology in the field. Established for over 30 years, Methods in Microbiology will continue to provide you with tried and tested, cutting edge protocols to directly benefit your research. Includes techniques for genome-wide expression profiling of both the pathogen and host and of the host response to infection Cytometric analysis of cytokine secretion by immune cells Describes tetramer technology for the quantitative analysis of antigen specific T cell responses Analysis of host cells and pathogens involved in the host-microbe interplay Covers techniques useful for the analysis of human and murine systems Includes techniques for the prediction and determination of MHC ligands and T cell epitopes Covers the fundamentals and practice of DNA vaccines Describes methods for the isolation and propagation of human dendritic cells
This best-selling resource has a worldwide reputation as the leader in its field. Focusing on human immunology and biology, while also reporting on scientific experimentation and advancement, it provides comprehensive coverage of state-of-the-art basic science as well as authoritative guidance on the practical aspects of day-to-day diagnosis and management. This new edition includes 700 full-color illustrations and a new, more accessible format to make finding information a snap for the busy practitioner. And this Expert Consult Edition offers online access to the complete contents of the 2-volume set, fully searchable, and much more. Includes a glossary of allergy and immunology for quick and easy reference. Contains keypoints and clinical pearls highlighted to find important information quickly. links to useful online resources both for you and for your patients. Offers contributions from hundreds of international authorities for world-class expertise in overcoming any clinical challenge. Contains 400 new illustrations, 700 in all, to better illustrate complex immunology. Covers the very latest in the field, including hot topics such as food allergy and immunotherapy. Includes the latest guidelines from The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). Utilizes a new, more user-friendly full-color format for easier reference. Includes online access to the entire contents of the book, fully searchable, with links to MEDLINE abstracts for all of the references.
