The immune system employs TLOs to elicit highly localized and forceful responses to unresolvable peripheral tissue inflammation. Current data indicate that TLOs are protective but they may also lead to collateral tissue injury and serve as nesting places to generate autoreactive lymphocytes. A better comprehension of these powerhouses of disease immunity will likely facilitate development to unprecedented and specific therapies to fight chronic inflammatory diseases.

This volume explores the various methods used to study tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in pathological situations. Pre-clinical models are also discussed in detail to show how TLS structure, development, and maintenance can be targeted and studied in vivo. The chapters in this book cover topics such as humans and mice; strategies to quantify TLS in order to use it in stained tissue sections; classifying a gene signature form fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues; and development of murine inflammatory models to help look at TLS in the context of infection or malignancy. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and thorough, Tertiary Lymphoid Structures: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource that increases the reader’s knowledge on immune functions and how they will pave the way to future therapeutic applications.

It has been clear for a long time that after transplantation of a lymphoid organ, hematopoietic stem cells can regenerate the compartments of the organ, provided that the rest of its architecture - the strome, the epithelia and the vessels - is intact. Ahead lies the even greater challenge to assemble also these other architectural elements of a lymphoid organ by transplanting stem cells. The workshop on lymphoid organogenesis was convened to review current knowledge of and experimental skills involved in this grand project to build a lymphoid organ from its individual cellular components.

This book sheds new light on “inducible” lymphoid organs (ILOs): antigen presentation sites that are generated de novo in peripheral tissues under various pathogenic conditions. Accomplished immunologists demonstrate that the physiological role of these ILOs is completely different from that of central lymphoid organs, i.e., the lymph nodes or spleen. In addition to the central organs, the ILOs are considered essential structures for the efficient elicitation of adaptive immune responses in lesions. The respective chapters highlight examples from multiple sites, e.g. the skin, lung, intestinal tract, genital tract, the synovial membrane of the joints and artificial lymph nodes. Accordingly, readers will learn that ILO structure and function can vary substantially, depending on the context. Presenting the results of the latest immunological research, the book offers a fascinating and insightful read for both scientists and clinicians in the areas of infectious and immune-associated diseases.

The comparative approach to immunology can be traced to the era of Pasteur and Metchnikov in which observations regarding foreign recognition in invertebrates was a factor in the develop ment of the principal concepts that created the foundation of what now is the broad field of immunology. With each major experimental and conceptual breakthrough, the classical, albeit essential, question has been asked "are the immune systems of phylogenetically primitive vertebrates and invertebrates similar to that of mammals?" Somewhat surprisingly for the jawed verte brates, the general answer has been a qualified form of "yes", whereas for agnathans and invertebrate phyla it has been "no" so far. The apparent abruptness in the appearance of the immune system of vertebrates is linked to the introduction of the somatic generation of the diversity of its antigen specific receptors. Therefore the questions regarding the origin and evolution of the specific immune system revolve around this phenomenon. With respect to the origin of the system (aside from the or igin of the rearranging machinery itself, the study of which is still in its infancy) one can ask questions about the cellular and mo lecular contexts in which the mechanism was introduced.

Liver Immunology: Principles and Practice, Second Edition begins with important information about the epidemiology and mortality of liver disease worldwide. This information is followed by chapters related to basic immunology, application of liver immunology for diagnosis, and several excellent chapters that provide a solid foundation for understanding immune-mediated liver disease, including those associated with the biliary tree. A chapter on non-hepatic manifestations of immune mediated liver disease helps provide context for how these diseases affect the patient overall. In addition, chapters discuss various discrete immunologically-mediated infectious liver disorders including those related to bacteria, parasites, and all of the classic viruses. Chapters on the traditional autoimmune liver diseases -- primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis as well as overlap syndrome – are also included. The breadth of this comprehensive second edition is highlighted by chapters on alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and drug-induced liver disease, among others. This invaluable new edition ends with a forward-looking view of future directions and how the field might meet the challenge of refractory patients. Developed by a renowned group of authors, Liver Immunology: Principles and Practice, Second Edition will again serve as a comprehensive textbook by providing an excellent overview for this rapidly evolving field. It greatly adds to the understanding of the pathogenesis of these diseases, while also providing novel insights that can be harnessed into helping improve the care of patients afflicted with various immune-mediated diseases. This volume will again be a must-read for clinicians at all levels, investigators and students.

This volume presents a broad selection of cutting-edge methods and tools that will enable the reader to investigate the multi-faceted manifestations of inflammation. Inflammation: Methods and Protocols is divided into four sections: the first three sections describe protocols investigating immune-mediated inflammatory disease models affecting barrier organs to the environment; the skin, the lung, and the intestinal and oral mucosa. The fourth section illustrates inflammatory disease models of the brain, joints, and vasculature. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Inflammation: Methods and Protocols aims to inspire the experienced investigator and the young experimenter alike to disentangle the fascinating process of inflammation.