Proceedings of the 1986 ISIR-TNO meeting held at the Dipoli Congress Center, Espoo, Finland, September 7-12, 1986

The Innate Immune Response to Non-infectious Stressors: Human and Animal Models highlights fundamental mechanisms of stress response and important findings on how the immune system is affected, and in turn affects such a response. In addition, this book covers the crucial link between stress response and energy metabolism, prompts a re-appraisal of some crucial issues, and helps to define research priorities in this fascinating, somehow elusive field of investigation. - Provides insights into the fundamental homeostatic processes vis-à-vis stressors to help in investigation - Illustrates the depicted tenets and how to offset them against established models of response to physical and psychotic stressors in both animals and humans - Covers the crucial issue of the immune response to endocrine disruptors - Includes immunological parameters as reporter system of environmental adaptation - Provides many illustrative examples to foster reader understanding

Milton Taylor, Indiana University, offers an easy-to-read and fascinating text describing the impact of viruses on human society. The book starts with an analysis of the profound effect that viral epidemics had on world history resulting in demographic upheavals by destroying total populations. It also provides a brief history of virology and immunology. Furthermore, the use of viruses for the treatment of cancer (viral oncolysis or virotherapy) and bacterial diseases (phage therapy) and as vectors in gene therapy is discussed in detail. Several chapters focus on viral diseases such as smallpox, influenza, polio, hepatitis and their control, as well as on HIV and AIDS and on some emerging viruses with an interesting story attached to their discovery or vaccine development. The book closes with a chapter on biological weapons. It will serve as an invaluable source of information for beginners in the field of virology as well as for experienced virologists, other academics, students, and readers without prior knowledge of virology or molecular biology.

At long last, the first book to cover all important areas of interferon science in one volume. Top scientists, including many pioneers in the field, highlight the role of interferons as research tools and as therapeutic agents in clinical applications. Edited by an experienced interferonologist, chapters include discussions of interferon genes, Type I, II and III IFNs, as well as their induction, production and purification, receptors actions, measuring IFN activities and anti-IFN antibodies, as well as the evolution of viral defense mechanisms. For immunologists, cancer researchers, medicinal chemists, cell biologists, developmental biologists and the pharmaceutical industry.