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The intestine is colonized by an impressive community of commensals, that has profound effects on the immune funtions. The relationship between gut microbiota and the immune system is one of reciprocity: commensals have important contribution in nutrient processing and education of the immune system and conversely, the immune system, particularly gut-associated lymphoid tissues plays a key role in shaping the repertoire of gut microbiota.
For years, toxoplasmosis has been known as disease mostly affecting newborns. Since immunocompromised patients (AIDS) present a high risk of reactivation of chronic toxoplasmosis this parasitic disease has gained increasing interest. Besides presenting clinical and therapeutical concepts, this volume provides current knowledge about genetics and immunology of T. gondii and the interaction with its 'host'. Since in vivo and in vitro models of toxoplasmosis exist, and genetic manipulation has become possible, this protozoan parasite has recently been accepted as a model for understanding the pathogenesis and persistance of other intracellular parasites. The articles of the book compromise both reviewing current concepts and reporting on yet unpublished results of leading scientists in this field.
Intracellular pathogens are responsible for a number of important diseases worldwide, including tuberculosis, plague and bacillary dysentery. This volume focusses on those intracellular pathogens that have been studied most extensively at the molecular, genetic, and cellular level. The reviews attempt to integrate the information derived from these diverse approaches into a cohesive picture. In recent years the entry steps have been described at the molecular and genetic level, and the important signal transduction events are being elucidated. It is now becoming clear that there are both similarities and differences both in terms of the steps involved and of the genetic basis of bacterial invasiveness. These reviews of the "state of the art" provide a foundation from which to proceed.
Follicular dendritic cells (FOe) are unique among cells of the immune system. While their morphological characteristics re sulted in their inclusion as a 'dendritic cell type', tt1ey differ quite significantly from the other members of the dendritic cell family. In contrast to T-cell-associated dendritic cells or the Langerhans cells found in the skin, FOe reside in highly organized B cell follicles within secondary lymphoid tissues. This site of resi dence provided a nomenclature committee in 1982 with the second descriptive factor for the derivation of their name. The cardinal feature of FOe is to trap and retain antigen on the surface of their dendritic processes for extended amounts of t...
It is of critical importance to maintain an appropriate balance between proliferation and quiescence or differentiation through out the lifespan of all animals. An important control point in this balance occurs in the G, phase of the cell cycle. On the basis of environmental cues a cell in G, must decide whether to continue through the proliferative cycle and enter S phase (where DNA replication occurs) or to exit from the proliferative cycle into a nonreplicating state. Alterations in the mechanisms that nor mally control this decision can lead to cancer, cell death, or loss of differentiated cellular phenotypes. The identification of the E2F gene family of transcription factors has allowed...
When it comes to bacterial disease, we are living in a state of false security. Antibiotics have indeed brought unprecedented health benefits, protection from and cure of bacterial diseases during the past 50 years. But there are ominous signs that the fortress and the defenses built on antibiotics are crumbling. They are crum bling because we wittingly or unwittingly created selective con ditions for the emergence of superior pathogens that can no longer be controlled by antibiotics. There are numerous warnings. After a long period of eclipse tuberculosis has now emerged as a serious threat unchecked by antibiotic treatment. Recent years have seen reports of cholera epidemics, of anthrax infections, of serious problems with Salmonella and even with E. coli, just to name a few. Mankind is in a race with microbial invaders. The challenge is to anticipate and respond to developments that affect the precarious balance between man and microbe. This will re quire new knowledge and it will take time for an effective appli cation of that knowledge.
Regulation of gene expression at the level of transcription is one of the major determinants of proper cellular proliferation and differentiation. The key players in these processes are sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor proteins which coordinate programs of gene expression in the nucleus. The articles in this volume document the myriad of genetic and biochemical alterations sustained by human proto-oncogenic transcription factors which result in diverse neoplastic processes. This volume gives insights into how normal programs of gene expression can be subverted by the action of single transcription factors resulting in a specific tumor type. The book provides inspiration for exploiting these tumor-specific alterations as diagnostic, prognostic tools, or as selective therapeutic targets.
S. TRACY Late in the 1940s, a virus was isolated from a young patient with a flaccid par alysis in the sleepy Hudson River town of Coxsackie in the state of New York. Within the next few years, it was apparent that this and other similar viruses were not polioviruses but were indeed a new group of viruses, viruses that by the mid- 1950s had been found to be commonly associated with pediatric inflammatory heart disease. Two groups of coxsackieviruses (A and B) were differentiated on the basis of the type of paralysis induced in suckling mice by these viruses. Group B coxsackieviruses, because of their primacy as etiologic agents of human acute viral myocarditis and its relatively common seque...
Most genes are lined up on chromosomes like pearls on a string. However, a certain class of genes differ by being highly mobile; and the mecha they are termed transposons. Their properties of transposition will be described in this book. nism is the rule, irregularities like a spot on a Where uniformity plain-coloured surface strike the eye. Thus the phenomenon of has long been a source of fascina variegation among organisms In plants, variegation is most easily recognised as irregulari tion. in pigment patterns on leaves, flowers and seeds, but other ties as leaf or flower form might also show characteristics such In 1588, such a variegation pattern was described in variegation. kernels of ...
The papers in this book were presented at the 14th Mechanisms in B-cell Neoplasia meeting that was held in Bethesda, Maryland October 21-23, 1996. In 1995 the organizers decided that the format of the meeting would be changed and that specific topics relevant to B-cell neoplasia would be discussed. This year's topic is on the c-myc oncogene in B-cell neoplasia which has been discussed in virtually every previous meeting. Some of the presentations announced for the first time dramatic advances in our understanding of c-myc and because this subject has become highly complex it was thought that devoting the whole meeting to this theme would be appropriate. The book, therefore, repre sents a rev...