Cell Adhesion Molecules: Implications in Neurological Diseases contains review articles on recent developments in the field of neural cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The main focus is on the role of cell adhesion molecules in various neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. This perspective has been essentially overlooked in recently published books on neural CAMs. In addition, the contributors cover many newly identified cell adhesion molecules and some that have not received much attention in recent years. This books fills an important gap in the currently available literature. ​

The microcirculation is highly responsive to, and a vital participant in, the inflammatory response. All segments of the microvasculature (arterioles, capillaries, and venules) exhibit characteristic phenotypic changes during inflammation that appear to be directed toward enhancing the delivery of inflammatory cells to the injured/infected tissue, isolating the region from healthy tissue and the systemic circulation, and setting the stage for tissue repair and regeneration. The best characterized responses of the microcirculation to inflammation include impaired vasomotor function, reduced capillary perfusion, adhesion of leukocytes and platelets, activation of the coagulation cascade, and enhanced thrombosis, increased vascular permeability, and an increase in the rate of proliferation of blood and lymphatic vessels. A variety of cells that normally circulate in blood (leukocytes, platelets) or reside within the vessel wall (endothelial cells, pericytes) or in the perivascular space (mast cells, macrophages) are activated in response to inflammation. The activation products and chemical mediators released from these cells act through different well-characterized signaling pathways to induce the phenotypic changes in microvessel function that accompany inflammation. Drugs that target a specific microvascular response to inflammation, such as leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion or angiogenesis, have shown promise in both the preclinical and clinical studies of inflammatory disease. Future research efforts in this area will likely identify new avenues for therapeutic intervention in inflammation. Table of Contents: Introduction / Historical Perspectives / Anatomical Considerations / Impaired Vasomotor Responses / Capillary Perfusion / Angiogenesis / Leukocyte-Endothelial Cell Adhesion / Platelet-Vessel Wall Interactions / Coagulation and Thrombosis / Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction / Epilogue / References

This updated and expanded Second Edition of The Adhesion Molecule FactsBook has nearly double the number of entries of the First Edition, and provides a compendium of the major cell surface adhesion molecules. The introductory chapters detail the organization of the data in the entries section, provide a background to the main adhesion molecule families, and inform the reader how to access information on adhesion molecules on the Internet. The entries have been designed to allow the reader to quickly establish the main structure and functional features of each molecule and where to find information. - Alternative nomenclature - Tissue distribution and regulation of expression - Ligands - Gene organization and chromosomal location - Protein structure and molecular weights - Amino acid sequence of the most commonly studied organisms - PIR, SWISSPROT, and EMBL/GenBank accession numbers - Biological function - Key references

Provides an overview of the structure, transcription regulation and binding characteristics of cellular adhesion molecules and their ligands in the maintenance of function, immunological reactions and inflammatory processes with organ systems. The text examines the role of adhesion molecules in biological processes such as morphogenesis, blood coagulation, tumour metastasis, bone tissue remodelling and transplant rejection.

This monograph explores the relationships between cell signaling and the cytoplasmic cytoskeleton in fundamental cell processes, thus bridging the gap between two very active aspects of molecular cell biology. It covers the two main - and reciprocal - questions of these relationships: How are structure and function of the cytoskeleton affected by external signals which impinge on the cell? How does the cytoskeleton influence the cellular signaling processes which determine cell behavior?

Epidermal Langerhans Cells focuses on epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) and the important role they play in the induction of contact hypersensitivity and graft rejection. This in-depth work discusses how these antigen-presenting cells are modulated by various physicochemical agents (such as UV light) and how they can be infected by the AIDS virus. It also reveals that cytokines mediate their development into potent T cell-stimulatory dendritic cells. This comprehensive review covers important experimental details and methods, and fascinating information on LCs. It also provides an overview of the immune system as it relates to the skin in health and disease. This up-to-date publication is an indispensable resource for all investigative and clinical dermatologists, as well as immunologists interested in antigen-presenting cells.