Principles of Immunopharmacology provides a unique source of essential knowledge on the immune response, its diagnosis and its modification by drugs and chemicals. The 4th edition of this internationally recognized textbook has been revised to include recent developments, but continues the established format, dealing with four related fields in a single volume, thus obviating the need to refer to several different textbooks. The first section of the book, providing a basic introduction to immunology and its relevance for human disease, has been updated to accommodate new immunological concepts, particularly the role of epigenetics and the latest understanding of cancer immunology. The second section on immunodiagnostics offers a topical description of widely used molecular techniques and a new chapter on imaging techniques. This is followed by a systematic coverage of drugs affecting the immune system, including natural products. This third section contains 15 updated chapters, covering classical immunopharmacological topics such as anti-asthmatic, anti-rheumatic and immunosuppressive drugs, but also deals with antibiotics, plant-derived and dietary agents, with new chapters on monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy in sepsis and infection, drugs for soft-tissue autoimmunity and cell therapy. The book concludes with a chapter on immunotoxicology and drug safety tests. Aids to the reader include a two-column format, glossaries of technical terms and appendix reference tables. The emphasis on illustrations is maintained from the first three editions. The book is a valuable single reference for undergraduate and graduate medical and biomedical students, postgraduate chemistry and pharmacy students, researchers in chemistry, biochemistry and the pharmaceutical industry and researchers lacking basic immunological knowledge, who want to understand the actions of drugs on the immune system.

This textbook provides a unique support in gaining essential knowledge on the immune response, its diagnosis and its modification by drugs and chemicals. The first section of the book, covering a basic introduction to immunology and its relevance for human disease, has been updated to accommodate new immunological concepts. The second section on immunodiagnostics has been further expanded to describe widely used molecular techniques and is followed by a systematic coverage of drugs affecting the immune system, revised to cover recent developments. The book concludes with a chapter on immunotoxicology. This third edition continues the unique format dealing with four related topics in a single volume, obviating the need to refer to several different textbooks. New aids to the reader include a two-column format, glossaries of technical terms and appendix reference tables. The emphasis on illustrations is maintained from the first edition.

The rapid developments in immunology in recent immunomodulatory drugs can be distinguished years have dramatically expanded our knowledge of from their beneficial therapeutic effects. mammalian host defence mechanisms. The molecu- Currently,it is only possible to obtain an overview lar mechanisms of cellular interactions during of these various aspects of immunopharmacology immune responses have been unravelled,the intra- by reading a range of immunological,pharmacol- cellular responses involved in signal transduction ical,diagnostic and toxicological literature. Good delineated and an ever-increasing number of soluble immunological textbooks are available, while mediators of immune and inflammatory reponses immunopharmacology is covered mainly in terms of have been discovered. the inflammatory response. Principles of Immuno- The initial result of this explosion of knowledge pharmacology is intended to provide for the first time has been to provide the researcher and the clinician in a single volume a basic understanding of with an arsenal of diagnostic tools with which the immunological mechanisms,a review of important immunological bases of disease processes can be immunodiagnostic tools and a description of the investigated. This has made disease diagnosis much main pharmacological agents which modify the more precise,enabling the physician to tailor therapy immune response,together with an introduction to much more closely to the individual patient’s needs. immunotoxicology. As such we hope that it will be However,better understanding of disease processes useful as a reference text for physicians,researchers only provides a gradual improvement in therapy. This and students with a rudimentary knowledge of is because the new molecular targets that have been immunology.

This textbook provides a unique support in gaining essential knowledge on the immune response, its diagnosis and its modification by drugs and chemicals. The first section of the book, covering a basic introduction to immunology and its relevance for human disease, has been updated to accommodate new immunological concepts. The second section on immunodiagnostics has been further expanded to describe widely used molecular techniques and is followed by a systematic coverage of drugs affecting the immune system, revised to cover recent developments. The book concludes with a chapter on immunotoxicology. This third edition continues the unique format dealing with four related topics in a single volume, obviating the need to refer to several different textbooks. New aids to the reader include a two-column format, glossaries of technical terms and appendix reference tables. The emphasis on illustrations is maintained from the first edition.

Pharmacology is a component of Encyclopedia of Biological, Physiological and Health Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Pharmacology is the study of the actions of chemicals on the body and most usually it is defined as chemicals that can have a therapeutic action to treat disease. Since it looks at the interaction between chemicals and body systems pharmacology utilizes the basic disciplines of chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, pathology and microbiology in its practice. Pharmacology is a foundation science for pharmacy which is the rational prescribing of drugs to treat disease and the foundation science for toxicology which is the study of the toxic actions of chemicals on the body. The two volumes are organized in groups of chapters as follows: The first group of chapters discuss pharmacological principles and these include chapters on Pharmacodynamics; Pharmacokinetics, Neuropharmacology, Autonomic Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology. The second group of chapters discusses the processes of Drug discovery and the Safety requirements for drugs to be used therapeutically and include Drug Discovery and Safety Pharmacology assessment. The largest group of chapters discuss different therapeutic areas and include Cardiovascular and renal pharmacology; Endocrine pharmacology; Neuropsychopharmacology; Pulmonary Pharmacology; Gastrointestinal pharmacology; Poisons venoms and toxins; Drugs on skeletal muscle; the Pharmacotherapy of inflammation; Reproductive pharmacology; Pain pharmacology and analgesia. The final group of chapters discuss new approaches and include Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics; Immunopharmacology and Gene therapy. These two volumes are aimed at the following a wide spectrum of audiences from the merely curious to those seeking in-depth knowledge: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

Celebrating 100 years of HEP, this volume will discuss key pharmacological discoveries and concepts of the past 100 years. These discoveries have dramatically changed the medical treatment paradigms of many diseases and these concepts have and will continue to shape discovery of new medicinies. Newly evolving technologies will similarly be discussed as they will shape the future of the pharmacology and, accordingly, medical therapy.

Medical and Health Sciences is a component of Encyclopedia of Biological, Physiological and Health Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. These volume set contains several chapters, each of size 5000-30000 words, with perspectives, applications and extensive illustrations. It carries state-of-the-art knowledge in the fields of Medical and Health Sciences and is aimed, by virtue of the several applications, at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers and NGOs.