Multichain Immune Recognition Receptor Signaling : From Spatiotemporal Organization to Human Disease
The central idea of this book is to show that the structural similarity of the MIRRs determines the general principles underlying MIRR-mediated transmembrane signaling mechanisms and also provides the basis for existing and fixture therapeutic strategies targeting MIRRs. The reviews assembled in this book detail the prog-ress in defining and controlling the spatiotemporal organization of key events in immune cell activation. An improved understanding of MIRR-mediated signaling has numerous potential practical applications, fi-om the rational design of drugs and vaccines to the engineering of cells for biotechnological purposes.
Immunology, phenotype first : How mutations have established new principles and pathways in immunology
This monograph deals with the impact of classical genetics in immunology, prov- ing examples of how large immunological questions were solved, and new fields opened to analysis through the study of phenotypes, either spontaneous or induced. As broad as biology has become, there are those who do not fully understand what the genetic approach is, and how it differs fundamentally from most of the methods available to natural scientists.
From Innate Immunity to Immunological Memory
The ability to remember an antigenic encounter for several decades, even for a life time, is one of the fundamental properties of the immune system. This phenomenon known as "immunological memory", is the foundation upon which the concept if vaccination rests. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which immunological memory is regulated is of paramount importance. Recent advances in immunology, particularly in the field of innate immunity, suggest that the innate immune system plays fundamental roles in influencing immunological memory. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that events that occur early, within hours if not minutes of pathogen or vaccine entry profoundly shape the quantity, quality and duration of immunological memory. The present volume assembles a collection of essays from leading experts that span the entire spectrum research from understanding the molecular mechanisms of innate immune recognition, to dendritic cell function, to the generation and maintenance of antigen-specific B and T-cell responses.


