The driving force for research on cytokines has always been their clinical promise. Their biological properties suggested a key role in hematopoiesis, immunity, tumor genesis, hemostasis, vascularization, repair of connective tissues and integration of the immune system with the neuroendocrine system. Animal studies have shown that cytokines could be used as effective biotherapeutics with easily manageable and reversible toxicities. Clinical trials have confirmed these findings, culminating in the licensing of a number of the cytokines such as interferon alpha, interferon gamma, interleukin 2, erythropoietin, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. Many other cytokines are in clinical trials. This is the first comprehensive volume on the cytokines written primarily from a medical perspective. After presenting background information about the structure, production, assays and systemic effects of cytokines and their receptors, it is organized around diseases and organ systems. Infectious diseases, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency states, defective hematopoiesis, allergies, injury repair, cancer, vascular and skin diseases, and neurological disorders are all covered. This work reviews the role that cytokines play in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of each disease. The authors assess both the current state of the art and the potential for future applications.

Every aspect of immune function and host defense is dependent upon a proper supply and balance of nutrients. Severe malnutrition can cause significant alteration in immune response, but even subclinical deficits may be associated with an impaired immune response, and an increased risk of infection. Infectious diseases have accounted for more off-duty days during major wars than combat wounds or nonbattle injuries. Combined stressors may reduce the normal ability of soldiers to resist pathogens, increase their susceptibility to biological warfare agents, and reduce the effectiveness of vaccines intended to protect them. There is also a concern with the inappropriate use of dietary supplements. This book, one of a series, examines the impact of various types of stressors and the role of specific dietary nutrients in maintaining immune function of military personnel in the field. It reviews the impact of compromised nutrition status on immune function; the interaction of health, exercise, and stress (both physical and psychological) in immune function; and the role of nutritional supplements and newer biotechnology methods reported to enhance immune function. The first part of the book contains the committee's workshop summary and evaluation of ongoing research by Army scientists on immune status in special forces troops, responses to the Army's questions, conclusions, and recommendations. The rest of the book contains papers contributed by workshop speakers, grouped under such broad topics as an introduction to what is known about immune function, the assessment of immune function, the effect of nutrition, and the relation between the many and varied stresses encountered by military personnel and their effect on health.

A review of the field of cytokines in autoimmunity written by 22 researchers suggesting diverse applications, and building on the successes of recent rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials. The contributors present and review findings on arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, Sjogren's syndrome, Lupus, scleroderma, and psoriasis. The final sections concentrate on laboratory and clinical concerns working with "knockout" mice, transgenic mice, and cytokine therapy. Distributed by Chapman and Hall. CiP shows the title as Role of cytokines..... Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Within the past few years, it has become recognized that the immune system communicates to the brain. Substances released from activated immune cells (cytokines) stimulate peripheral nerves, thereby signaling the brain and spinal cord that infection/inflammation has occurred. Additionally, peripheral infection/inflammation leads to de novo synthesis and release of cytokines within the brain and spinal cord. Thus, cytokines effect neural activation both peripherally and centrally. Through this communication pathway, cytokines such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor markedly alter brain function, physiology and behavior. One important but underrecognized aspect of this communication is the dramatic impact that immune activation has on pain modulation. The purpose of this book is to examine, for the first time, immune-to-brain communication from the viewpoint of its effect on pain processing. It is aimed both at the basic scientist and health care providers, in order to clarify the major role that substances released by immune cells play in pain modulation. This book contains chapters contributed by all of the major laboratories focused on understanding how cytokines modulate pain. These chapters provide a unique vantage point from which to examine this question, as the summarized work ranges from evolutionary approaches across diverse species, to the basics of the immune response, to the effect of cytokines on peripheral and central nervous system sites, to therapeutic potential in humans.

My personal history in the field of cytokines had an initial period of several years during which my student and then colleague, Werner Muller, tried in vain to attract me to them. My interest always vanished when I was confronted with complex data pointing to func tional redundancy of cytokines in cell culture systems. When gene targeting in the mouse germline became possible, this frustration came to an end. We and others immediately embarked on analyzing the in vivo function of cytokines and the problem of functional redundancy with this powerful new approach. The early cytokine gene knockouts performed by colleagues in Wiirzburg (IL-2) and by ourselves (IL-4 and IL-l 0) seemed to give clear answers and at the same time led to surprises: Each of these cytokines apparently had its own special and irreplaceable function, and this function could be quite distinct from what had been anticipated from functional experiments in vitro. Al though the latter finding is of course a wonderful incentive for fur ther research, the former is pleasing in a general sense since it highlights the value of each of those one hundred thousand genes or so in our genome, cherished by evolution to become respectable mem bers of the community. Even in the present era of "genomics" there will be no way around the careful functional analysis of each gene by itself.

The hematopoietic system plays roles that are crucial for survival of the host: delivery of oxygen to tissues, arrest of accidental blood leaking from blood vessels, and fending off of invading microbes by humoral, cell-mediated, and phagocytic immunity. The activity of the hematopoietic system is staggering: daily, a normal adult produces approximately 2.5 billion erythrocytes, 2.5 billion platelets, and 1 billion granulocytes per kilogram of body weight. This production is adjusted in a timely fashion to changes in actual needs and can vary from nearly none to many times the normal rate depending on needs which vary from day to day, or even minute to minute. In response to a variety of stimuli, the cellular components of the blood are promptly increased or decreased in production to maintain appropriate numbers to optimally protect the host from hypoxia, infection, and hemorrhage. How does this all happen and happen without over or under responding? There has been extraordinary growth in our understanding ofhematopoiesis over the last two decades. Occupying center stage is the pluripotent stern cell and its progeny. Hematopoietic stern cells have been characterized by their capacity for self renewal and their ability to proliferate and differentiate along multiple lineages. Few in number, the stern cell gives rise to all circulating neutrophils, erythrocytes, lymphoid cells, and platelets. In hematopoietic transplantation, the stern cell is capable of restoring long-term hematopoiesis in a lethally irradiated host.

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.

Dieses Fachbuch erläutert die molekularen Grundlagen von Entzündungen, spannt den Bogen zu Infektionskrankheiten und den Zusammenhang zwischen Entzündungen und chronischen Erkrankungen, behandelt abschließend den Heilungsprozess und zeigt Therapiemöglichkeiten.

Acute Phase Proteins covers all major aspects of acute phase proteins (APP) starting with molecular mechanisms regulating their synthesis and ending with their functional significance. The book features 36 chapters addressing such topics as acute phase response and the APP; major APP and their structure and functions; regulation of APP synthesis, the cytokines and hormones implicated in these processes, and molecular mechanisms involved; signal transduction of cytokines in hepatocytes and posttranscriptional processes; and quantitative and qualitative evaluation of APP in clinical practice. The book will be an important reference for immunologists, molecular biologists, cellular biologists, biochemists, and clinical chemists.

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.