
Introductory Immunology
Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications
- 3rd Edition - February 2, 2023
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Author: Jeffrey K. Actor
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 5 3 0 7 - 5
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 5 3 0 8 - 2
**Selected for Doody’s Core Titles® 2024 in Immunology**Introductory Immunology: Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications, 3rd Edition, is a completely updated, revised… Read more

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Introductory Immunology: Basic Concepts for Interdisciplinary Applications, 3rd Edition, is a completely updated, revised, and expanded concise, conceptual approach to understanding the immune systems as a primary defense to maintain health and homeostasis. This expanded version includes the aspects of microbiology and related immune defense mechanisms important in combating disease, as well critical components related to the field of vaccine development.
Immunology as a subject is no longer confined to the realms of "immunology" or "microbiology" studies. Indeed, the subject matter has become increasingly important to understand complex mechanisms found within a wider range of biological systems. This book aims specifically at educated audiences who do not have a deep understanding of medical, biochemical, or cellular knowledge. The overall text will present concepts that portray a comprehensive picture of the natural defenses to infectious agents as well as provide an introduction to mechanisms that lead to autoimmune dysfunction. In addition, immunological diseases will be detailed, with the goal of allowing the readers to gain sufficient knowledge to make sound choices for clinical decisions to affect treatment outcomes.
This new edition expands on the existing chapters, focusing on updating the previous text. It has been expanded to include knowledge on effector mechanisms addressing components inherent within cellular responses that are either newly discovered, or missing from the previous edition. It has an extra emphasis on aspects related to mechanisms important in combating microbial agents and critical sections on how vaccines protect against pathogenic invaders to limit associated pathology.
The goal is that Introductory Immunology will become the preferred provider of core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore components of the human immune system that work together to confer and understand dysregulation that causes clinical diseases. This book serves as a basic platform to define therapeutic interventions by:
- creating appreciation for components of the human immune system to work together to confer lifelong protection;
- providing a core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore mechanisms involved in clinical disease, and defining functional aspects of immunological terms to permit the reader easy access to comprehend specific topics;
- presenting introduction to complex immunological concepts in a concise and easy manner that relates to clinical disease;
- breaking down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks, and providing a map to explore overlapping mechanisms of immune protective responses;
- providing a platform to readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise to understand and appreciate how immunology controls homeostasis and protects against pathogens.
- Creating appreciation for components of the human immune system to work together to confer lifelong protection
- Provides a core knowledge in immunology to build a foundation to explore mechanisms involved in clinical disease, and defining functional aspects of immunological terms to permit the reader easy access to comprehend specific topics
- Presenting introduction to complex immunological concepts in a concise and easy manner that relates to clinical disease
- Breaking down all of immunology into manageable, logically digestible building blocks, and providing a map to explore overlapping mechanisms of immune protective responses
- providing a platform to readers without medical, biochemical, or cellular expertise to understand and appreciate how immunology controls homeostasis and protects against pathogens
Researchers, clinicians, clinical investigators, pathologists, medical students, and graduate students in the biomedical sciences, as well as basic scientists in such fields as immunology, rheumatology, genetics, cell biology and microbiology
- Cover Image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1. A functional overview of the immune system and components
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Immune homeostasis
- Self versus nonself
- Innate and adaptive immunity
- Anatomy of the immune system
- Cells of the immune system
- First-line defenders: the myeloid cells
- Adaptive avengers: the lymphoid cells
- Lymphocytes
- Cluster of differentiation
- Summary
- Chapter 2. The inflammatory response
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Inflammation
- Initiation of the inflammatory response
- The role of antibodies in inflammation
- Biological functions of complement
- Activation and directed migration of leukocytes
- Pathogen recognition and cytokine signaling
- Feedback and adaptation from a distance
- Pathological consequences of the inflammatory Response
- Summary
- Chapter 3. The B lymphocyte: antibodies and how they function
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- B lymphocytes produce antibodies
- Structural characteristics of immunoglobulins
- Immunoglobulin nomenclature
- Biologic properties of antibody isotypes
- Kinetics of antibody response
- Membrane-bound immunoglobulin
- Development of B cells
- Antibody gene recombination
- Development and selection of mature B cells
- Activation and differentiation of B cells
- Summary
- Chapter 4. T lymphocytes: ringleaders of adaptive immune function
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- T lymphocytes: specific and long-lasting immunity
- The T cell receptor
- T-cell development
- Antigen recognition by T cells: requirement of major histocompatibility molecules
- The HLA locus
- MHC class I
- MHC class II
- T lymphocyte functions
- Events involved in T lymphocyte activation
- Role of T cells in B-cell activation
- Cytotoxic T-cell effectors
- Other lymphocyte phenotypes
- Superantigens
- Summary
- Chapter 5. How we defend against infectious agents
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Immune homeostasis and pathogenic organisms
- Major immune defense mechanisms against pathogens
- Physical barriers to infection
- Bacterial infections
- Mycobacterial infections
- Viral infections
- Parasitic infections (helminths)
- Fungal infections
- Evasion of immune response
- Summary
- Chapter 6. Basic disorders of immune function
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Immunodeficiency disorders
- Genetic basis for primary immunodeficiency
- Innate deficiencies
- Complement disorders
- Innate pattern-recognition receptor disorders
- Adaptive immune disorders
- Treatment of immunodeficiency diseases
- Immunodeficiency as a predisposition to disease
- Summary
- Chapter 7. Autoimmunity: regulation of response to self
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Homeostasis, immune regulation, and autoimmunity
- Tolerance to self
- Etiology of autoimmune disease
- Role of autoantibodies and self-reactive T lymphocytes in autoimmune disorders
- Laboratory tests for autoimmunity
- Targeted therapeutics
- Summary
- Chapter 8. Immune hypersensitivities
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Hypersensitive disorders
- Type I hypersensitivity: immunoglobulin E–mediated immediate hypersensitivity
- Type II hypersensitivity: antibody-mediated cytotoxic hypersensitivity
- Type III hypersensitivity: immune complex-mediated hypersensitivity
- Type IV hypersensitivity: delayed-type (cell-mediated) hypersensitivity
- Alternative hypersensitivity classifications
- Summary
- Chapter 9. Vaccines and immunotherapy
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Principles of vaccination
- Basic concepts of protective immunization
- Types of immunizations
- Age and timing of immunizations
- Vaccine types and components
- Immunologic adjuvants
- Passive immunization
- Therapeutic uses of immunoglobulins
- Other ways to modify immunity
- Summary
- Chapter 10. Cancer immunology
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Understanding immune defenses against cancers
- Tumor antigens
- Effector mechanisms in tumor immunity
- Natural killer cells and innate response to tumor cells
- Adaptive response to tumor cells
- Escape mechanisms of tumor elimination
- Tumors of the immune system
- Immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy
- Summary
- Chapter 11. Transplantation immunology
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Transplantation defined
- Tissue histocompatibility
- Natural isohemagglutinins
- Human leukocyte antigens
- Allograft rejection
- Hyperacute rejection
- Accelerated rejection
- Acute rejection
- Chronic rejection
- Graft-versus-host disease
- Pretransplantation histocompatibility evaluation
- Immunosuppressive drugs to prevent allograft rejection
- Immunosuppressive therapy
- Summary
- Chapter 12. Assessment of immune parameters and immunodiagnostics
- Abstract
- Chapter focus
- Antibody–antigen reactions
- Affinity
- Secondary manifestations of antibody–antigen binding
- Solid-phase precipitation assays
- Radial immunodiffusion
- The Ouchterlony assay
- Immunoelectrophoresis
- Latex agglutination
- Lateral flow
- Western blot
- Immunoassays
- Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay
- Detection of cellular antigens
- Immunohistochemistry
- Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis
- Multiplex bead arrays
- Assays to determine immune function
- Other tools to measure immunological status
- Summary
- Glossary
- Index
- Edition: 3
- Published: February 2, 2023
- Imprint: Academic Press
- No. of pages: 224
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780443153075
- eBook ISBN: 9780443153082
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