The purpose of this book is to examine immune-to-brain communication from the viewpoint of its effect on pain processing, and to clarify the major role that substances released by immune cells play in pain modulation. In these chapters, contributed by major laboratories whose focus is understanding how cytokines modulate pain, the perspectives examined range from evolutionary approaches across diverse species, to the basics of the immune response, to the effect of cytokines on peripheral and central nervous system sites, to therapeutic potential in humans. -- book cover.

Lipids are functionally versatile molecules. They have evolved from relatively simple hydrocarbons that serve as depot storages of metabolites and barriers to the permeation of solutes into complex compounds that perform a variety of signalling functions in higher organisms. This volume is devoted to the polar lipids and their constituents. We have omitted the neutral lipids like fats and oils because their function is generally to act as deposits of metabolizable substrates. The sterols are also outside the scope of the present volume and the reader is referred to volume 28 of this series which is the subject of cholesterol. The polar lipids are comprised of fatty acids attached to either glycerol or sphingosine. The fatty acids themselves constitute an important reservoir of substrates for conversion into families of signalling and modulating molecules including the eicosanoids amongst which are the prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leucotrienes. The way fatty acid metabolism is regulated in the liver and how fatty acids are desaturated are subjects considered in the first part of this volume. This section also deals with the modulation of protein function and inflammation by unsaturated fatty acids and their derivatives. New insights into the role of fatty acid synthesis and eicosenoid function in tumour progression and metastasis are presented.

Humans coexist with millions of harmless microorganisms, but emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, and the threat of bioterrorism are forcing scientists to look for new ways to confront the microbes that do pose a danger. This report identifies innovative approaches to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines based on a greater understanding of how the human immune system interacts with both good and bad microbes. The report concludes that the development of a single superdrug to fight all infectious agents is unrealistic.

It is only during the last decade that the functions of sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, pit cells and other intrahepatic lymphocytes have been better understood. The development of methods for isolation and co-culturing various types of liver cells has established that they communicate and cooperate via secretion of various intercellular mediators. This monograph summarizes multiple data that suggest the important role of cellular cross-talk for the functions of both normal and diseased liver. Special features of the book include concise presentation of the majority of detailed data in 19 tables. Original schemes allow for the clear illustration of complicated intercellular relationships. This is the first ever presentation of the newly emerging field of liver biology, which is important for hepatic function in health and disease and opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions.

Immune Rebalancing: The Future of Immunosuppression summarizes the most promising perspectives of immunopharmacology, in particular in the area of immunosuppression by considering molecular pathways, personalized medicine, microbiome and nanomedicine. Modulation of immune responses for therapeutic purposes is a particularly relevant area, given the central role of anomalous immunity in diseases. These diseases vary from the most typically immune-related syndromes (autoimmune diseases, allergy and asthma, immunodeficiencies) to those in which altered immunity and inflammation define the pathological outcomes (chronic infections, tumours, chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, etc. - Visits immunosuppression from a modern point of view of signalling mechanisms at the light of the current knowledge of signalling mechanisms and regulatory networks allows the reader to formulate new ideas and concepts on how to use immunosuppression the therapeutic purposes - Encourages researchers to engage into exploring the field of pharmacological modulation of immune responses in depth, and with the new knowledge and tools available, designs more effective therapeutic strategies to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, degenerative diseases and infections - Examines the link between molecular pathways associated to immune-suppression and the new immunopharmacology approaches - Provides information on the new strategies for drug development in this field - Considers the role of microbes in the development of the mammalian immune system and immune responses, which will widen the reader's strategy for addressing therapeutic immune modulations

Cytokines are peptide or protein cell-to-cell signaling molecules that play vital roles in normal cell and tissue homeostasis, as well as in responses to infectious agents. Because of their importance in virtually all forms of pathology, the pharmaceutical industry is devoting great effort to develop methods for the control of cytokine synthesis or action. This is the first volume to bring together experts from academia and the pharmaceutical industry to discuss problems and solutions in the therapeutic control of cytokines. An introductory section reviews the biology, physiology, and pathology of cytokines. Internationally recognized scientists then discuss the development of low molecular mass inhibitors, including inhibitors of cytokine convertases and oligonucleotide drugs. The potential use of natural inhibitors such as soluble receptors, interleukin-1 receptor antagonists, and anti-cytokine antibodies is detailed. This interesting book also covers intracellular signaling pathways induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines and the bio-modulatory activity of specific cytokines such as TGF-ß. Therapeutic Modulation of Cytokines will interest academic scientists in biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, and molecular biology and biological scientists in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.

This book opens a new page of neuro-immunobiology providing substantive experimental and clinical data to support current understanding in the field, and potential applications of this knowledge in the treatment of disease. The volume is a collection of complex, new data drawn from multiple areas of investigation in the field. The contents summarize current understanding on the presence and function of CNS cytokines and their receptors in a variety of CNS cells during health and disease. The chapters are a collection of complex, new data demonstrating the presence and synthesis of cytokines in brain cells, as well as their receptors on cell membranes in health and disease. The strength of the volume are the descriptions of the authors own investigations, together with those of others in the field pertaining to a large number of cytokines in brain function, as well as mechanisms involved in the development of CNS disorders, including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Also included are novel approaches to the treatment of CNS disorders based on new experimental data. The contributors to this volume are internationally known scientists and clinical researchers in their respective fields of investigation and treatment.*Opens a new page of neuro-immunobiology and provides substantive evidence for the promise of this field in the treatment of disease*Summarizes current understanding on the presence and function of central nervous system (CNS) cytokines and their receptors in a variety of CNS cells during health and disease*Includes novel approaches to the treatment of CNS disorders based on new experimental data*Offers new insight into triggers for the development of autoimmune diseases in the brain and the possibilities for treatment