'This monograph will appeal to clinical microbiologists, and virologists involved in the care of transplant recipients and AIDS patients, as it provides the scientific basis of antiviral drug activity, molecular diagnosis and also of possible immunopathogenic mechanisms of CMV disease and CMV-related graft rejection.... it is highly recommended.'

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection causes severe diseases in immunocompromised patients. CMV-related morbidity is frequently linked to aberrant immune responses occurring locally within the respective tissues including immune-privileged sites such as the retina. There is growing evidence that CMV-related pathomechanisms differ profoundly as a function of cell type and differentiation state of the host cell. This book provides important new insights into CMV-related immunopathology, discusses molecular mechanisms involved in HCMV-mediated tissue injury, CMV latency and reactivation, and presents novel ideas and concepts to develop alternative antiviral drugs. As an important focus, the role of CMV-reactive T cells in protection, pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of HCMV infection is discussed. The contributions to this book are written by leading scientists and clinicians in the field of CMV who participated in the fourth international meeting on CMV-related immunopathology, held in Berlin, September 2002. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this volume is a vital reference for clinicians involved in the diagnosis and treatment of CMV infections, as well as for researchers working in the field of herpesvirus biology and the development of antiviral drugs.

Viral respiratory tract infections are important and common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the past two decades, several novel viral respiratory infections have emerged with epidemic potential that threaten global health security. This Monograph aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of severe acute respiratory syndrome, Middle East respiratory syndrome and other viral respiratory infections, including seasonal influenza, avian influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and human rhinovirus, through six chapters written by authoritative experts from around the globe.

Medicinal Spices and Vegetables from Africa: Therapeutic Potential against Metabolic, Inflammatory, Infectious and Systemic Diseases provides a detailed look at medicinal spices and vegetables that have proven safe-and-effective for consumption and the treatment of diseases, including infectious diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It provides pharmacological evidence, such as the latest information related to efficacy and safety data, in vitro and in vivo studies, clinical trials, and more, to illustrate the use of these spices and vegetables as both palliative and alternative treatments with the goal of furthering research in this area to produce safer and more effective drugs. - Provides scientific evidence for the potential of medicinal spices and vegetables used in Africa to fight metabolic, inflammatory, and infectious diseases - Includes a review of the latest methods used to investigate the effects of medicinal plants in the treatment of disease - Offers an updated resource for students sand scientists in the fields of pharmaceutical science, pharmacognosy, complementary and alternative medicine, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, biochemistry, and more

This volume has gathered some of the experts in the field to review aspects of our understanding of CMV and to offer perspectives of the current problems associated with CMV. The editors and authors hope that the chapters will lead to a better understanding of the virus that will assist in the development of new and unique antivirals, a protective vaccine, and a full understanding of CMV's involvement in human disease.

'This monograph will appeal to clinical microbiologists, and virologists involved in the care of transplant recipients and AIDS patients, as it provides the scientific basis of antiviral drug activity, molecular diagnosis and also of possible immunopathogenic mechanisms of CMV disease and CMV-related graft rejection.... it is highly recommended.'

The 29 papers contained in this volume look closely at various aspects of what is termed, "The Maternal-Fetal Interface," as it relates to the latest research in placental science. A substantial section of the book is devoted to the troublesome question of vertical transmission of infectious agents: namely, the HIV-1 virus. However, other sections of the volume examine related issues such as drug and toxin transfer across the term placenta and the diversity of placental types and how this can affect a placenta's effectiveness as a barrier. Anthony Carter is at the University of Odense, Denmark Vibeke Dantzer is at the University of Copenhagen, DenmarkThomas Jansson is at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden