Developmental And Comparative Immunology

Aspects of Developmental and Comparative Immunology contains the proceedings of the 1st Congress of Developmental and Comparative Immunology, held from July 27 to August 1, 1980 in Aberdeen, Scotland. The papers explore various aspects of developmental and comparative immunology and cover topics ranging from the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and membrane immunoglobulins to idiotypes and diversity, comparative ontogeny, and evolution of lymphoid organ function. Comprised of 105 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of how the host immune system utilizes polymorphic MHC antigens as the principal tool for pseudo-self versus true self distinction. The reader is then introduced to the immunology of earthworms, membrane immunoglobulins, idiotypes, and diversity. Subsequent chapters focus on the evolution of lymphoid organs in vertebrates; differentiation clocks in comparative immunology of mammals and birds; immunorecognition in invertebrates such as insects and gastropods; and the phylogeny of leucocytes in vertebrates and invertebrates. The remaining sections deal with stem cells, immune responses of gut-associated lymphoepithelial tissue, and the ontogeny of resistance to infection as well as the ontogeny of killer cells. Finally, the immunology of fish, amphibians, reptiles, chickens, and mammals is examined. This monograph will be of interest to immunobiologists.

This timely, comprehensive volume draws on recent advances in molecular, cellular and organismal biology to provide a detailed analysis of the phylogeny and ontogeny of the immune system. This first book to provide broad coverage of this field gives a clear description of cellular and molecular interactions in the development of immune function. Although most of this work is based on studies in vertebrates, the intriguing observations of cytokine-like molecules in invertebrates are discussed. In a final section, the contributors deal with abnormalities in the development and regulation of the immune system, including primary immunodeficiency diseases, and with the normal aging of the immune system. Throughout the book, an effort has been made to compare and integrate information from studies in diverse systems, and to discuss the limitations of such comparisons. This work will be of special interest to immunologists and theoretical, cell and developmental biologisis, and much of the book will be useful to physicians working in pediatrics, internal medicine and reproductive medicine.

Immunologists, perhaps understandably, most often concentrate on the human immune system, an anthropocentric focus that has resulted in a dearth of information about the immune function of all other species within the animal kingdom. However, knowledge of animal immune function could help not only to better understand human immunology, but perhaps more importantly, it could help to treat and avoid the blights that affect animals, which consequently affect humans. Take for example the mass death of honeybees in recent years – their demise, resulting in much less pollination, poses a serious threat to numerous crops, and thus the food supply. There is a similar disappearance of frogs internationally, signaling ecological problems, among them fungal infections. This book aims to fill this void by describing and discussing what is known about non-human immunology. It covers various major animal phyla, its chapters organized in a progression from the simplest unicellular organisms to the most complex vertebrates, mammals. Chapters are written by experts, covering the latest findings and new research being conducted about each phylum. Edwin L. Cooper is a Distinguished Professor in the Laboratory of Comparative Immunology, Department of Neurobiology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.

The second edition of Avian Immunology provides an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of avian immunology. From the ontogeny of the avian immune system to practical application in vaccinology, the book encompasses all aspects of innate and adaptive immunity in chickens. In addition, chapters are devoted to the immunology of other commercially important species such as turkeys and ducks, and to ecoimmunology summarizing the knowledge of immune responses in free-living birds often in relation to reproductive success. The book contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system, encompassing the mucosal, enteric, respiratory and reproductive systems. The diseases and disorders it covers include immunodepressive diseases and immune evasion, autoimmune diseases, and tumors of the immune system. Practical aspects of vaccination are examined as well. Extensive appendices summarize resources for scientists including cell lines, inbred chicken lines, cytokines, chemokines, and monoclonal antibodies. The world-wide importance of poultry protein for the human diet, as well as the threat of avian influenza pandemics like H5N1 and heavy reliance on vaccination to protect commercial flocks makes this book a vital resource. This book provides crucial information not only for poultry health professionals and avian biologists, but also for comparative and veterinary immunologists, graduate students and veterinary students with an interest in avian immunology. With contributions from 33 of the foremost international experts in the field, this book provides the most up-to-date review of avian immunology so far Contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system reviewing constitutive barriers, chemical and cellular responses; it includes a comprehensive review of avian Toll-like receptors Contains a wide-ranging review of the "ecoimmunology" of free-living avian species, as applied to studies of population dynamics, and reviews methods and resources available for carrying out such research