**Selected for Doody’s Core Titles� 2024 in Immunology** Introductory Immunology: Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications, 3rd Edition, is a completely updated, revised, and expanded concise, conceptual approach to understanding the immune systems as a primary defense to maintain health and homeostasis. This expanded version includes the aspects of microbiology and related immune defense mechanisms important in combating disease, as well critical components related to the field of vaccine development.
Immunology as a subject is no longer confined to the realms of "immunology" or "microbiology" studies. Indeed, the subject matter has become increasingly important to understand complex mechanisms found within a wider range of biological systems. This book aims specifically at educated audiences who do not have a deep understanding of medical, biochemical, or cellular knowledge. The overall text will present concepts that portray a comprehensive picture of the natural defenses to infectious agents as well as provide an introduction to mechanisms that lead to autoimmune dysfunction. In addition, immunological diseases will be detailed, with the goal of allowing the readers to gain sufficient knowledge to make sound choices for clinical decisions to affect treatment outcomes.
This new edition expands on the existing chapters, focusing on updating the previous text. It has been expanded to include knowledge on effector mechanisms addressing components inherent within cellular responses that are either newly discovered, or missing from the previous edition. It has an extra emphasis on aspects related to mechanisms important in combating microbial agents and critical sections on how vaccines protect against pathogenic invaders to limit associated pathology.
The goal is that Introductory Immunology will become the preferred provider of core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore components of the human immune system that work together to confer and understand dysregulation that causes clinical diseases. This book serves as a basic platform to define therapeutic interventions by:
- creating appreciation for components of the human immune system to work together to confer lifelong protection;
- providing a core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore mechanisms involved in clinical disease, and defining functional aspects of immunological terms to permit the reader easy access to comprehend specific topics;
- presenting introduction to complex immunological concepts in a concise and easy manner that relates to clinical disease;
- breaking down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks, and providing a map to explore overlapping mechanisms of immune protective responses;
- providing a platform to readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise to understand and appreciate how immunology controls homeostasis and protects against pathogens.
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Table of Contents
Preface Acknowledgments
1. A functional overview of the immune system and components Chapter focus Immune homeostasis Self versus nonself Innate and adaptive immunity Anatomy of the immune system Cells of the immune system First-line defenders: the myeloid cells Adaptive avengers: the lymphoid cells Lymphocytes Cluster of differentiation Summary
2. The inflammatory response Chapter focus Inflammation Initiation of the inflammatory response The role of antibodies in inflammation Biological functions of complement Activation and directed migration of leukocytes Pathogen recognition and cytokine signaling Feedback and adaptation from a distance Pathological consequences of the inflammatory Response Summary
3. The B lymphocyte: antibodies and how they function Chapter focus B lymphocytes produce antibodies Structural characteristics of immunoglobulins Immunoglobulin nomenclature Biologic properties of antibody isotypes IgD IgM IgG IgA IgE Kinetics of antibody response Membrane-bound immunoglobulin Development of B cells Antibody gene recombination Development and selection of mature B cells Activation and differentiation of B cells Summary
4. T lymphocytes: ringleaders of adaptive immune function Chapter focus T lymphocytes: specific and long-lasting immunity The T cell receptor T-cell development Antigen recognition by T cells: requirement of major histocompatibility molecules The HLA locus MHC class I MHC class II T lymphocyte functions CD4 1 T-helper cells Events involved in T lymphocyte activation Role of T cells in B-cell activation Cytotoxic T-cell effectors CD8 1 T cells Other lymphocyte phenotypes ?d T cells Innate lymphocytes Natural killer T (NKT) cells Superantigens Summary
5. How we defend against infectious agents Chapter focus Immune homeostasis and pathogenic organisms Major immune defense mechanisms against pathogens Physical barriers to infection Anatomic barrier Physiological barrier Phagocytic and endocytic barriers Inflammatory barriers Bacterial infections Microbial motifs detected through pattern-recognition receptors Mycobacterial infections Viral infections Human immunodeficiency virus Parasitic infections (helminths) Fungal infections Evasion of immune response Summary
6. Basic disorders of immune function Chapter focus Immunodeficiency disorders Genetic basis for primary immunodeficiency Innate deficiencies Chronic granulomatous disease/myeloperoxidase deficiency Leukocyte adhesion deficiency Chediak
7. Autoimmunity: regulation of response to self Chapter focus Homeostasis, immune regulation, and autoimmunity Tolerance to self Etiology of autoimmune disease Role of autoantibodies and self-reactive T lymphocytes in autoimmune disorders Laboratory tests for autoimmunity Targeted therapeutics Summary
8. Immune hypersensitivities Chapter focus Hypersensitive disorders Type I hypersensitivity: immunoglobulin E
9. Vaccines and immunotherapy Chapter focus Principles of vaccination Basic concepts of protective immunization Types of immunizations Age and timing of immunizations Vaccine types and components Immunologic adjuvants Passive immunization Therapeutic uses of immunoglobulins Other ways to modify immunity Summary
10. Cancer immunology Chapter focus Understanding immune defenses against cancers Tumor antigens Effector mechanisms in tumor immunity Natural killer cells and innate response to tumor cells Adaptive response to tumor cells Escape mechanisms of tumor elimination Tumors of the immune system Immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy Summary
11. Transplantation immunology Chapter focus Transplantation defined Tissue histocompatibility Natural isohemagglutinins Human leukocyte antigens Allograft rejection Hyperacute rejection Accelerated rejection Acute rejection Chronic rejection Graft-versus-host disease Pretransplantation histocompatibility evaluation Immunosuppressive drugs to prevent allograft rejection Immunosuppressive therapy Summary
12. Assessment of immune parameters and immunodiagnostics Chapter focus Antibody
Authors
Jeffrey K. Actor PhD Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas-Houston McGovern Medical School, TX, USA. Jeffrey K. Actor, PhD, is a professor and Medical Immunology Course Director in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Center at Houston. Dr. Actor received his PhD degree from the University of Massachusetts. His research interests include examination of host immune responses during pathogenic disease, understanding proinflammatory and regulatory cytokines during mycobacterial infections, vaccine development, and molecular mechanisms of adjuvant-induced immunomodulation.Professor Actor has established himself as a productive educator-scientist with a strong background in immunology and molecular biology with a broad range of expertise in pathobiology. He has shown his commitment to education and excellence, at both the Medical School and Graduate School levels.
