A manual that details the techniques of electrofusion and electroporation by researchers who were the first to show that the platelet membrane glycoproteins GP IIb and GP IIIa are associated in a complex which triggered interest in electrofusion.

This volume presents a state-of-the-art overview of the techniques of electrofusion and electroporation used in the production of both human and mouse monoclonal antibodies. It is the only work available to detail the pitfalls of electrofusion and to offer expert guidance in overcoming them. With its detailed protocols, this "how-to" manual facilitates the successful production of viable cell hybrids and transfectants.

Electrical Manipulation of Cells provides an authoritative and up-to-date review of the field, covering all the major techniques in a single source. The book features broad coverage that ranges from the mechanisms of action of external electrical fields on biological material to the ways in which electrical stimuli are employed to manipulate cells. Bringing together the work of leading international authorities, the book covers membrane breakdown, gene delivery, electroporation, electrostimulation, cell movement, hybridoma production, plant protoplasts, electrorotation and stimulation, and electromagnetic stimulation. For each topic, the authors discuss the relevance of the approach to the current state of the art of biotechnology. Electrical Manipulation of Cells is an unmatched source of information for anyone involved in the manipulation of cells, particularly biotechnologists, cell biology, microbiologists, biophysicists and plant scientists. For researchers, the book provides technical material that ccan be employed in their own work. Students will gain thorough appreciation of the applications of this important technique.

Electromanipulation of Cells is the first comprehensive, balanced overview of this dynamic discipline. Edited by leading authorities in the field, the book surveys state-of-the-art research as well as recent practical applications of electric field technologies.

Includes all of the information required to produce monoclonal antibodies in the laboratory and to prepare them for use in a multitude of given applications. Production procedures are treated in chronological order, beginning with basic tissue culture techniques, immunization strategies and screening test design, followed by production of hybridoma cell lines and basic antibody characterization, purification and labeling. Each chapter contains explanatory text on each step with comparative analysis of methods where appropriate. All necessary experimental protocols are presented in a self-contained format that is easy to follow in the laboratory. Alternative protocols are provided where relevant; for others not included in full, source references are presented. Surveys the current status of human hybridoma production and antibody engineering using molecular biology techniques.

This balanced volume provides a broad and coherent overview of recent progress in membrane fusion research—highlighting an interdisciplinary treatment of the subject from the fields of biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology, virology, and biotechnology—in a single volume., Featuring easy-access sections on the general properties of membranes and applications of membrane fusion techniques, this valuable sourcebook outlines membrane structure, lipid polymorphism, and intermembrane forces ... covers membrane fusion in model systems ... presents the fusogenic properties of enveloped viruses ... discusses the fusion and flow of intracellular membranes and cell-cell fusion occurring during fertilization and myogenesis ... offers applications of membrane fusion techniques in cell-biological research and biotechnology ... and more. Supplying a comprehensive view of this exciting topic, Membrane Fusion is a working resource for molecular, cell, and membrane biologists; biophysicists; biochemists; virologists; biotechnologists; microbiologists; immunologists; physiologists; and graduate and medical school students in biophysics, biochemistry, physiology, virology, cell biology, and biotechnology.

Discussing the systemic immune response in the contexts of health, disease, and therapy, this unique resource-the only broadly based book of its kind available on the subject-offers comprehensive examinations of the pathways and agents that affect the human immune response and provides state-of-the-art presentations on practical methods of immune modulation. Focuses on the immune response and modulation in infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis, and parasitic infections and highlights immune modulating agents in gastrointestinal diseases, sepsis, cancer, and autoimmunity! Written by over 50 international authorities representing distinguished institutions in nine countries, Immune Modulating Agents introduces basic immunoregulatory mechanisms as homeostasis details cytokines, cellular and humoral immune responses, and hematopoiesis describes neuroendocrine - immune system interactions and the role of psychological stress on immune competence delineates factors that influence disease susceptibility, including nutrition covers drug delivery systems, gene therapy, organ transplantation, arthritis treatment, and vaccination strategies shows how to design clinical trials using immune modulating agents and more!