Chemokines: Attraction of dendritic cells and role in tumor immunobiology.- Chemokine receptors.- Regulation of gene expression of chemokines and their receptors.- Chemokines and T lymphocytes.- Chemokines and mast cells.- Chemokines and eosinophils.- CXC-chemokines - autocrine growth factors for melanoma and epidermoid carcinoma cells.- Expression of chemokines in dermatoses.

New updated edition first published with Cambridge University Press. This new edition includes 29 chapters on topics as diverse as pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, vascular haemodynamics, haemostasis, thrombophilia and post-amputation pain syndromes.

The present volume summarizes the state of information on chemokines focussing on skin diseases. The first three chapters deal with the structure and molecular biology of chemokines and their receptors. The following three review information on the interaction of chemokines with lymphocytes, mast cells and eosinophilic granulocytes. One chapter deals with the expression of chemokines in several inflammatory skin diseases. The final chapter reports on in vitro evidence for a growth-promoting activity of chemokines in skin-derived tumor cells. The volume is of use for the basic scientist interested in practical aspects and for the physician in search for basic mechanisms of skin diseases.

Advances in itch research have elucidated differences between itch and pain but have also blurred the distinction between them. There is a long debate about how somatic sensations including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity are encoded by the nervous system. Research suggests that each sensory modality is processed along a fixed, direct-line communication system from the skin to the brain. Itch: Mechanisms and Treatment presents a timely update on all aspects of itch research and the clinical treatment of itch that accompanies many dermatological conditions including psoriasis, neuropathic itch, cutaneous t-cells lymphomas, and systemic diseases such as kidney and liver disease and cancer. Composed of contributions from distinguished researchers around the world, the book explores topics such as: Neuropathic itch Peripheral neuronal mechanism of itch The role of PAR-2 in neuroimmune communication and itch Mrgprs as itch receptors The role of interleukin-31 and oncostatin M in itch and neuroimmune communication Spinal coding of itch and pain Spinal microcircuits and the regulation of itch Examining new findings on cellular and molecular mechanisms, the book is a compendium of the most current research on itch, its prevalence in society, and the problems associated with treatment.

Rev. ed. of: Acute and chronic wounds / [edited by] Ruth A. Bryant, Denise P. Nix. 3rd ed. c2007.

Fibroproliferative diseases are a broad spectrum of entities from organ-specific involvement (e.g., pulmonary, heart, liver, and kidney fibrosis) to multi-system diseases such as systemic sclerosis and sclerodermatous graft vs. host disease. These diseases also encompass pathophysiologies not readily recognizably related, such as macular degeneration and cancer metastasis. Fibroproliferative diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and can affect all tissues and organ systems. Remarkable progress in elucidating the pathogenesis of these common diseases with fibrotic components, including the critical roles of myofibroblasts and the molecular mechanisms driving the transcriptional activation involved in the induction of fibrosis. As the importance of these processes is realized in the long-term recovery and treatment of diseases, effective anti-fibrotic therapies targeting the underlying ongoing disease processes are lacking. The complexity of discovering and applying therapies to fibroproliferative disease may be due to the diversity of the systems the pathogenesis of disease itself involves. By nature, fibroproliferative diseases are interdisciplinary, involving multiple cell types (organ-specific epithelial cells), immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts. Bone marrow, cytokines, and organ-specific pathologies further speckle both the clinical and scientific disciplines in such a way that communication is often limited to the clinical or scientific tribes we live in, despite the greatest access to information known to man available today. Therefore, the primary focus of this text is to bring together authors from a diversity of both clinical, scientific, and therapeutic backgrounds for readers to more fully appreciate that fantastic platform that is available to build upon to lessen the isolation of the clinical and scientific disciplines. With advances in the discovery of pre-clinical therapeutic targets (at least 20+ to date) involving TGF-beta (and other cytokines), transcription factors, and downstream kinases, it’s important to both recognize the broader impact and potential opportunities that exist even today. This book will serve as a state-of-the-art resource for physicians and translational medical researchers alike who are interested in the rapidly evolving field of fibroproliferative diseases. The book will provide new insight into the fundamental mechanisms of classic fibrotic pathophysiologic processes like myocardial infarction, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, wound healing, and systemic sclerosis. It will also highlight the many new areas of therapeutic investigation currently underway. Lastly, we will touch upon newly emerging fields investigating the role of fibrosis in macular degeneration and cancer metastasis. The chapters will be written by established experts in their fields, including clinicians (cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, pathologists, and general practitioners) and translational biomedical researchers in a wide range of disciplines. However, the material will certainly have a broader audience including medical residents, fellows, and general practitioners as well as M.D. or Ph.D. post-doctoral research fellows. While comprehensive, we'll attempt to present the material in a manner that simplifies the complex pathophysiologic mechanisms that underlie common fibroproliferative diseases while making it appealing to a broad audience.

This book represents an excellent, updated review on selected topics, ideas, hypotheses, and therapeutic strategies in the aetiology and pathogenesis of inflammatory phenomena. The introductory article reveals the nature of the immune status of critically ill patients and proposes the usefulness of immuno-stimulating therapy. The next series of articles deals with the role of cytokines in mediating cell functions in immunity and inflammation. The complexity of the prostaglandin function, the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and their control, as well as the inflammatory response to Mycobacteria, are critically evaluated. In addition, therapeutic strategies in infection and inflammation, including application of cytokines and anti-apoptotic factors, are proposed. These also include phage therapy, whose renaissance is associated with the recent worsening problem of resistance to antibiotics. The book is addressed to scientists involved in biomedical research, hospital doctors, and medical students interested in the immunology of inflammation.

"Keratinocytes, as the main cellular component of the organism/environment interface, perform a vast range of functions in protection, secretion, sensation and self-repair by virtue of their great plasticity in form and development. Indeed recent medical advances in laboratory culture of these cells for use as skin grafts in cases of severe burns or ulceration owe much of their success to this very plasticity. Drawing upon a wide range of international expertise the various interconnected aspects of cell structure, composition and function are laid out in this volume, providing a comprehensive dossier of the keratinocyte and its biological significance."--Pub. desc.

Wound Healing, Tissue Repair and Regeneration in Diabetes explores a wide range of topics related to wound healing, tissue repair and regeneration, putting a special focus on diabetes and obesity. The book addresses the molecular and cellular pathways involved in the process of wound repair and regeneration. Other sections explore a wide spectrum of nutritional supplements and novel therapeutic approaches, provide a comprehensive overview, present various types of clinical aspects related to diabetic wounds, including infection, neuropathy, and vasculopathy, provide an exhaustive review of various foods, minerals, supplements and phytochemicals that have been proven beneficial, and assess future directions. This book is sure to be a welcome resource for nutritionists, practitioners, surgeons, nurses, wound researchers and other health professionals.