An in-depth look at cutting-edge research on the body's innate immune system Innate immunity is the body's first line of protection against potential microbial, viral, and environmental attacks, and the skin and oral mucosa are two of the most powerful barriers that which we rely on to stay well. The definitive book on the subject, Innate Immune System of Skin and Oral Mucosa: Properties and Impact in Pharmaceutics, Cosmetics, and Personal Care Products provides a comprehensive overview of these systems, including coverage of antimicrobial peptides and lipids and microbial challenges and stressors that can influence innate immunity. Designed to help experts and newcomers alike in fields like dermatology, oral pathology, cosmetics, personal care, and pharmaceuticals, the book is filled with suggestions to assist research and development. Looking at the many challenges facing the innate immune system, including the impact of topically applied skin products and medications, Innate Immune System of Skin and Oral Mucosa paves the way for next generation treatment avenues, preventative approaches, and drug development.

Skin and oral mucosa both function as barriers to harmful environmental factors. However, clinical observations suggest that these tissues react differently to exposure to environmental insults. Metal exposure in the oral cavity is known to activate the immune system and in some cases results in skin inflammation. Clinical experience has shown that skin exposure can lead to sensitization whereas exposure in the oral mucosa often leads to tolerance. Limited literature is available on oral mucosal immunology. In general, when mucosal immunology is described it is actually referring to gut immunology which has an immunosuppressive character (“tolerance”) compared to the more inflammatory character of skin. The goal of the research described in this thesis was to gain more insight on the local innate immune responses in skin and oral mucosa and to develop a multi-organ approach to study systemic toxicity caused by oral metal exposure. Previous results in our lab have supported the possibility that the innate immune response in the oral mucosa is prone to respond to pathogen exposure acutely and efficiently and thereby eliminate imminent threats immediately as opposed to being tolerant. LC are generally known as immune stimulatory cells whilst there is strong evidence that they can have a more immune regulatory role as they are key players in induction and maintenance of tolerance. Perhaps oral mucosa immunity is not more tolerant or more immune stimulatory but simply differential to skin immunity and supremely adaptable in its response to exogenous insults. In Chapter 2 we describe the most promising organotypic in vitro skin models that are commercially available or being used in a laboratory setting for hazard assessment of potential sensitizers and for investigating the mechanisms behind allergic contact dermatitis.

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.

This comprehensive, authoritative treatise covers all aspects of mucosal vaccines including their development, mechanisms of action, molecular/cellular aspects, and practical applications. The contributing authors and editors of this one-of-a-kind book are very well known in their respective fields. Mucosal Vaccines is organized in a unique format in which basic, clinical, and practical aspects of the mucosal immune system for vaccine development are described and discussed. This project is endorsed by the Society for Mucosal Immunology. - Provides the latest views on mucosal vaccines - Applies basic principles to the development of new vaccines - Links basic, clinical, and practical aspects of mucosal vaccines to different infectious diseases - Unique and user-friendly organization

This book is designed to re-establish the position of the oral cavity and its mucosa at the forefront of defence and maintenance of homeostatic mechanisms that protect against disease not just locally but also systemically. The oral mucosa is a unique collection of tissues that constitutes a highly active environment with its own unique microflora and homeostatic interaction with the innate and adaptive immune responses. As an immune tissue the oral mucosa was somewhat neglected in the past owing to the tendency to assume similarity to the gut mucosa. More recently it has become apparent that the oral mucosa is a complex environment and, like the esophageal mucosa, has more in common with vaginal tissue than with the gut. Furthermore, the ability of the oral mucosa to act as an immune inductive site has made it an attractive area of research in terms of desensitization for allergic reactions and possibly autoimmune responses. In this book, recognized experts in the field provide up-to-date coverage of all aspects of the structure and function of the oral mucosa, reflecting important recent advances in knowledge, including at the molecular level.

An in-depth look at cutting-edge research on the body's innate immune system Innate immunity is the body's first line of protection against potential microbial, viral, and environmental attacks, and the skin and oral mucosa are two of the most powerful barriers that which we rely on to stay well. The definitive book on the subject, Innate Immune System of Skin and Oral Mucosa: Properties and Impact in Pharmaceutics, Cosmetics, and Personal Care Products provides a comprehensive overview of these systems, including coverage of antimicrobial peptides and lipids and microbial challenges and stressors that can influence innate immunity. Designed to help experts and newcomers alike in fields like dermatology, oral pathology, cosmetics, personal care, and pharmaceuticals, the book is filled with suggestions to assist research and development. Looking at the many challenges facing the innate immune system, including the impact of topically applied skin products and medications, Innate Immune System of Skin and Oral Mucosa paves the way for next generation treatment avenues, preventative approaches, and drug development.

This book fills a gap at the interface of fundamental and clinical immunology, and allergy. For many years, experts in fundamental immunology and physicians involved in clinical immunology and allergy worked separately – but the fundamental immunologists did not have medical qualifications and the physicians were not involved in the field of fundamental research. Written by a teacher and an expert in both fields, this book combines current knowledge on basic immunology and immunopathology with clinical comments that complete the whole picture. Immunology is a complex science, which requires a simplified approach in order to be taught and understood effectively. This book is based on the authors’ long experience in teaching undergraduate, postgraduate students and interns both basic and clinical immunology. Reviewing a variety of important components related to the immune system, it is clearly and logically structured, and enriched by figures, tables and boxes with important immunology definitions. Each chapter has its own bibliography, and most units include links to electronic quizzes and audio files to accompany readers step by step. This easy-to-follow volume concludes with suggestions for future study. It is a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as medical practitioners.

Surprisingly what separates us from the open environment all around us sometimes is a single layer of epithelial cells. It is at these seemingly fragile sites that most pathogens, including HIV, influenza, emerging and biodefense agents, gain access to our inside milieu. While there are major similarities between the cells and the immune responses generated at the mucosal membranes of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts together with the genitourinary tract, there are also important differences. Knowledge of these differences and similarities is required in order to understand the interactions between us, as the host, and the pathogens that attack through each tract, and how our immune system reacts to each of them. Whether we want to devise rational prophylactic or therapeutic vaccines or treatments to either prevent or treat mucosal infections we must acquire such knowledge. This is the rationale behind putting this book together. This book will provide the readers in the areas of vaccinology, virology, bacteriology, epidemiology, immunology and mucosal immunology within academia (undergraduate, graduate, post doctoral fellows and professors), as well as preclinical and clinical scientists in vaccine and drug industries a thorough appreciation of the mucosal immune system and its importance in protecting humans against mucosal pathogens.

Humans coexist with millions of harmless microorganisms, but emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, and the threat of bioterrorism are forcing scientists to look for new ways to confront the microbes that do pose a danger. This report identifies innovative approaches to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines based on a greater understanding of how the human immune system interacts with both good and bad microbes. The report concludes that the development of a single superdrug to fight all infectious agents is unrealistic.