Chemokines and Viral Infection
This edition of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology examines the role of chemokines and chemokine receptors in host defense and disease development following viral infection. Chemokines represent a family of over 40 small proteins that, for the most part, are secreted into the environment and function by binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are expressed on numerous different cell types. When initially identified close to 30 years ago, these molecules were associated with various human inflammatory diseases and it was recognized that expression may be integral in leukocyte recruitment to inflamed tissue. There are now four sub-families of chemokines identified based on defined structural criteria relating to the positional location of conserved cysteine residues within the amino-terminus of the protein. Chemokines are now recognized as important in numerous biological processes ranging from maintaining the organizational integrity of secondary lymphoid tissue to participating in various aspects of both innate and adaptive immune responses following microbial infection. With this in mind, this book highlights the functional roles of chemokines and their receptors in participating in various aspects of the immune response against well-known viral pathogens.
Breathing, feeding, and neuroprotection
New findings in brain research are being revealed on an almost daily basis, and the focus of this book is the fields of breathing, neuroprotection, and higher brain functions. An unresolved issue within respiration research and hence a topic of much interest is Where and how respiratory rhythm is generated in the brainstem, detailed analysis of which is presented herein. Chapters on neuroprotection examine the functional significance of the blood – brain barrier as an interface of blood and the central nervous system; other chapters look at health and disease in relation to the hypothalamic and limbic systems. In addition to animal experiments, research on the human brain is included, with a focus on the recently developed EEG/dipole tracing method. This book will be an invaluable reference for researchers in neuroscience and related fields.

