Research on the key factors affecting the Th1/Th2 balance. Specifically examines the antigens and cytokines influencing the development of Th1 and Th2 cells.

This volume reviews the most recent advances in the understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms for immune responses and immune regulation. The books editor, Dr. Zhang, is well-known internationally, particularly in the field of multiple sclerosis and T-cell vaccination as a potential treatment of multiple sclerosis. He has much experience and expertise in both basic and clinical aspects of autoimmune disease.

Immunointervention in Autoimmune Diseases is a collection of papers presented at the 1988 International Meeting by the same title, held in Paris, France. This text contains 21 chapters and begins with surveys of the role of antigen in autoimmune responses and the moving boundaries between physiology and pathology of immunity. The succeeding chapters deal with the regulation, immunosuppressive therapy, infections, and immunointervention of autoimmune disorders. These topics are followed by discussions of specific immunosuppressive therapy for a particular disease, including type I diabetes, T-cell leukemia, and systemic lupus erythomatosus. This work also explores the principles of allograft, the use of monoclonal antibody, and OKT3. The remaining chapters consider the maintenance of autoimmunity and the risk/benefit in immunointervention for autoimmune diseases. This book will prove useful to immunologists, pathologists, physiologists, and researchers.

The type 2 immune response that develops during infectious disease has undergone major paradigm shifts in the last several years as new cell types and pathways have been identified. It is now clear that the type 2 immune response, characterized by elevations in specific cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, is associated with helminth infections in both humans and mice. This response is complex and includes effector functions that mediate resistance, contributing to expulsion and in some cases destruction, of the parasite. But just as importantly, the type 2 immune response can also mediate tolerance mechanisms, which can mitigate tissue injury as these large multicellular parasites transit through vital organs. The tolerance mechanisms include both tissue repair and immune regulatory effects. These latter aspects of the helminth-induced type 2 immune response are increasingly recognized as a potential resource that can be mined for the development of novel immunotherapies that may enhance wound healing, control of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and regulation of metabolic homeostasis. In this book, leading researchers in this exciting and dynamic field discuss the latest findings and emerging concepts, providing an intellectual framework that can be used as a basis for new discoveries and potentially new treatments for diseases associated with inflammation.

This book presents an excellent review of the mechanisms underlying the phenomena of autoimmunity. It provides not only an update of the field's state of the art, but also presents new concepts in the fundamentals and treatment of autoimmune disorders. The finest example of the new approach is understanding the nature of autoimmunity and the treatment of autoimmune diseases is the introductory article. The author opposes the current dogma that autoimmune disorders should be treated with immunosuppressors, and postulates rather the activation of the immune system, which may lead to redirecting the immune response to the protective, Th-2 type of immunity. A series of articles deals with several aspects of the subject, such as the generation, progression, and regulation of autoimmune phenomena. The roles of pathogens, apoptosis, cytokines, complement components, and regulatory T cells are described, as well as the association between the immune and neurohormonal systems in major autoimmune disorders. This is not a textbook, but it is highly recommended for clinicians and university workers, and as supplementary reading for lecturers and students.