Exploring the role of Immunoglobulin-E (IgE) in human disease, this reference summarizes current research on the mechanisms and utilization of anti-IgE therapeutics in the treatment of IgE-mediated allergic disease, inflammation, and asthma-discussing the structural composition of high- and low-affinity IgE receptors, the airway cells that express
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.
Severe asthma is a form of asthma that responds poorly to currently available medication, and its patients represent those with greatest unmet needs. In the last 10 years, substantial progress has been made in terms of understanding some of the mechanisms that drive severe asthma; there have also been concomitant advances in the recognition of specific molecular phenotypes. This ERS Monograph covers all aspects of severe asthma – epidemiology, diagnosis, mechanisms, treatment and management – but has a particular focus on recent understanding of mechanistic heterogeneity based on an analytic approach using various ‘omics platforms applied to clinically well-defined asthma cohorts. How these advances have led to improved management targets is also emphasised. This book brings together the clinical and scientific expertise of those from around the world who are collaborating to solve the problem of severe asthma.
Mast cells and basophils are responsible for inflammatory and allergic reactions. As such, the signals that generate these responses and how their pathways of action work are the focus of much present day research into allergy and inflammation. This book focuses primarily on the molecular mechanisms that govern mast cell and basophil cell biology and function, as well as providing a comprehensive summary of the field of signal transduction and also giving insights into areas that have therapeutic potential. The book provides detailed insights into mast cell and basophil growth and development, their activation by allergens, including details of receptor activation and downstream events, and the regulators of morphology and degranulation. The metabolic pathways involved in prostaglandin and leukotriene production are discussed as is the role of transcription factors in mast cell growth and cytokine production. Written by leaders in the field, this volume will provide the reader with an up-to-date account of a topic where the rapid progress makes conventional information gathering difficult.
Written by the foremost authority in the field, this volume is a comprehensive review of the multifaceted phenomenon of hepatotoxicity. Dr. Zimmerman examines the interface between chemicals and the liver; the latest research in experimental hepatotoxicology; the hepatotoxic risks of household, industrial, and environmental chemicals; and the adverse effects of drugs on the liver. This thoroughly revised, updated Second Edition features a greatly expanded section on the wide variety of drugs that can cause liver injury. For quick reference, an appendix lists these medications and their associated hepatic injuries. Also included are in-depth discussions of drug metabolism and factors affecting susceptibility to liver injury.
Mast Cells and Basophils will be essential reading for immunologists, biochemists and medical researchers. Detailed chapters cover all aspects of mast cell and basophil research, from cell development, proteases, histamine, cysteinyl leukotrienes, physiology and pathology to the role of these cells in health and disease. Chapters also discuss the clinical implications of histamine receptor antagonists.
This volume is a practical biochemical guide to the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), used to detect a target substance in a liquid sample. The ELISA is an important and widely used diagnostic tool in medicine, animal health, botany and quality assurance processes in food and beverage production. An introductory chapter orients the reader on the basic structure and function of immunoglobulins and their fragments while subsequent chapters outline the methodology to generate monoclonal antibodies using hybridoma technology and the general methods used to purify antibodies. Multiple chapters demonstrate how to creatively use the properties of the antibody to identify, localize and quantify target analytes to answer questions and resolve problems. The reader will learn how to use a variety of immunoassay strategies, reporters and detection systems that will undoubtedly facilitate their efforts to gain answers to their own questions. Written in the 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 protocols and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, ELISA: Methods and Protocols seeks to provide both professionals and novices with the technical information necessary for the reader to successfully use the immunoassay as part of the discovery process.
This book focuses on the fundamentals of the use of biologics in asthma, describing the rationale, principles, mechanisms of action, and indications. It offers an excellent balance between basic science and the analysis of clinical trials, updating readers with new developments that are changing the global scenario for targeted biological anti-asthma therapies, especially with regard to more severe disease. A range of therapies are considered, from the humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody omalizumab, widely approved as add-on treatment for inadequately controlled disease, through to emerging biologics for which evidence supportive of efficacy is accumulating, including anti-IL-5, anti-IL-4, and anti-IL-13 therapies. One aspect to emerge is the variability in individual response, which suggests a need for characterization of different asthma subtypes to permit the effective implementation of phenotype-targeted treatments. This book will be of interest for pulmonologists, clinical immunologists, and physicians seeking sound information on these therapies, but also for scientists and pharmacologists wishing to enhance their knowledge of the therapeutic implications of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie severe, uncontrolled asthma.
This book provides discussions on bronchial asthma from a clinical perspective, focusing on the recent studies on its pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment. It also explores the lastest findings regarding the phenotypes and endotypes of asthmatic patients, making it of particular interest to those involved with non-eosinophilic asthma and eosinophilic asthma. Further, it discusses the importance of ILC 2 in eosinophilic asthma, and the accumulated results from the forced oscilliation technique and periostin that are actively practiced in Japan. As some aspects of diagnosis and treatment are different in Western and Asian countries, it is important that the data is disseminated around the globe. The clinical questions addressed by the authors are critical and thought provoking, while the questions raised by the editors are instructive, informative and provide new perspectives on unresolved issues. This book appeals to wide readership from beginning learners to physicians in clinical practice and scholars engaging in basic research.
Erika Jensen-Jarolim and Manuel L. Penichet 1. 1 Background Infectious diseases, being the major burden in the history of mankind worldwide th until the beginning of the 20 century, were important triggers in the understanding of immunological mechanisms. In contrast to infectious diseases, reports of all- gies and cancers were less common, but increased tremendously within the last century. Based on the US mortality data of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2009, a recent report from the American Cancer Society indicated that the number of cancer deaths increased approximately from 100,000 to 550,000 per year between 1930 and 2006, paralleling the increase of the total population during this period. Leading causes of death from cancer are lung and bronchus cancer, in men prostate cancer, and in women breast c- cer [1, 2]. Normalization to population size shows that the cancer death rate for most malignancies has been generally stable, although the mortality rate of certain malignancies, such as lung and bronchus cancer, has increased over the last 50 years [1-3]. In allergy, the situation is less clear, because for the time period around the turn of th the 19 century, only imprecise information is available. However, within the last 30 years the incidences of allergies has doubled not only in industrial countries, but in developing countries as well [4].
