Heat Shock Proteins Potent Mediators Of Inflammation And Immunity

This book provides the most up-to-date review on new mechanisms and provides exciting insights into how heat shock proteins modulate the hosts’ immune response. Written by leaders in the field of heat shock protein immunobiology, the chapters systematically and in a step-wise fashion take the reader through the fascinating sequence of events by which heat shock proteins activate immune responses and provide answers as to its biological significance to the host.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) have received ample interest by immunologists over recent years. Initially they were found to be dominantly immunogenic microbial antigens. The connection with inflammation was established when it was uncovered that T cells specific for these antigens have a crucial role in the induction and regulation of experimental arthritis. Since then, the raised presence of immunity to HSPs in virtually all conditions of inflammation, including autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and atherosclerosis, has emphasised the critical significance of immunity to HSPs in inflammatory diseases.

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were discovered as polypeptides induced by stress that can be found in all kingdoms of cellular organisms. Their functions were, a first enigmatic and these proteins were thus classified by molecular weight, as in—Hsp27, Hsp70, Hsp90, Hsp110. More recently, each of these size-classified molecules has attributed a role in protein folding, and they thus came to be known, as a class, as molecular chaperones. However, the they possess properties beyond chaperoning. Indeed, their discovery in the extracellular spaces suggested roles in regulation of the immune responses.

Chaperokine, is a term that describes the unique function of extracellular heat shock protein (eHsp) as both chaperone and cytokine. The cellular consequence of binding and signaling of eHsp is the stimulation of a potent and long lasting immune response. eHsp induces a plethora of immune responses including the release of bioactive mediators like cytokines, chemokines, nitric oxide, apotogenic mediator, stimulation of the innate and adaptive immune response, migration and maturation of dendritic cells (DC) and the enhancement of natural killer cell-mediated cellular cytotoxicity. The book Chaperokine Activity of Heat Shock Proteins provides the most comprehensive review on contemporary knowledge on the chaperokine activity of heat shock proteins (HSP) in biology and medicine. Using an integrative approach to understanding the chaperokine activity of HSP, the contributors provide a synopsis of novel mechanisms, signal transduction pathways and how the principles of the chaperokine activity of HSP has been harnessed for therapeutic gain. To enhance the ease of reading and comprehension this book has been subdivided into various section, including; Section I, reviews current progress on our understanding of Immunological and Inflammatory Responses; Section II, evaluates the role of Physiological Responses and Section III, focuses the reader on the Therapeutic Approach. Key basic and clinical research laboratories from major universities, academic medical hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical laboratories around the world have contributed chapters that review present research activity and importantly project the field into the future. The book is a must read for researchers, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in the fields of Translational Medicine, Clinical Psychologists, Human Physiology, Zoologists, Botanists, Biotechnology, Molecular Medicine, Infectious Diseases Experts, Pathologists, Pharmaceutical Scientists and Researchers involved in Drug Discovery.

Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Heat Shock Proteins in Infectious Disease provides the most current review of the literature relating to the role and influence of heat shock (stress) proteins on the establishment, progression and resolution of infectious disease. Written by leaders in the field of heat shock proteins (HSP) and their biological and immunological properties, the contributors provide a fascinating insight into the complex relationship between, and the involvement of prokaryotic and eukaryotic HSP in disease states. It has been known for some considerable time that heat shock proteins from prokaryotic organisms are immunodominant molecules that are intimately involved in the induction of potential protective inflammatory responses, and this aspect of HSP biology is updated herein. In addition to regulating heat shock protein gene expression, the transcription factor HSF1 also appears to play an important role in regulating immune responses to infection. Heat shock proteins are now known to influence infectious disease processes in a number of diverse ways: they are involved in the propagation of prions, the replication and morphogenesis of viruses, and the resistance of parasites to chemotherapy. These proteins also appear to be important mediators of bacteria-host interactions and inflammation, the latter via interactions with cell surface molecules and structures such as Toll-like receptors and lipid rafts. Heat shock proteins can be expressed on the surface of infected cells, and this is likely to provide a target for the innate immune response. Elevated levels of circulating HSP are present in infectious diseases and these proteins might therefore regulate inflammatory responses to pathogenic challenge on a systemic basis. Heat shock proteins are also implicated in the impact of genital tract infections on the reproductive outcome, as well as in the local and systemic consequences of periodontal disease. Fever-range temperatures can induce the expression of heat shock proteins, and the final chapter in the book examines the influence of fever-range hyperthermia on a variety of cells and the organization of plasma membranes. This book is an essential read for graduates and postgraduates in Biology, pro- and eukaryotic Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Inflammatory and Infectious Disease, and Pathology.

Heat Shock Proteins and Whole Body Physiology is an exciting new book in the Heat Shock Proteins series which provides the most up-to-date review on novel mechanisms insights into the important role played by heat shock proteins in human physiology. Written by leaders in the field of heat shock protein exercise physiology, neuroscience and aging, the chapters systematically and in a step wise fashion takes the reader through the fascinating mechanisms by which heat shock proteins modulate human disease and pathophysiology and provides answers as to its biological significance to the host. Section I, introduces the readers to the role played by heat shock proteins in various diseases and disorders (Heat Shock Proteins and Disease). Section II, addresses the role heat shock proteins play in psychological disorders including post traumatic stress disorders and learning (Heat Shock Proteins and Psychological Stress). Section III, present a detailed review of the role played by heat shock proteins in exercise physiology (Heat Shock Proteins and Exercise Physiology). This book is a must read for heat shock protein researchers, graduate and postgraduate fellows in the field of Medicine in general and specialities in Excersie Physiology, Neuroscience, Immunology, Aging and Pathology.

With the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases on the rise as average life expectancy increases, the hunt for effective treatments and preventive measures for these disorders is a pressing challenge. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been termed ‘protein misfolding disorders’ that are char- terized by the neural accumulation of protein aggregates. Manipulation of the cellular stress response involving the induction of heat shock proteins offers a the- peutic strategy to counter conformational changes in neural proteins that trigger pathogenic cascades resulting in neurodegenerative diseases. Heat shock proteins are protein repair agents that provide a line of defense against misfolded, aggregati- prone proteins. Heat Shock Proteins and the Brain: Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Neuroprotection reviews current progress on neural heat shock proteins (HSP) in relation to neurodegenerative diseases (Part I), neuroprotection (Part II), ext- cellular HSP (Part III) and aging and control of life span (Part IV). Key basic and clinical research laboratories from major universities and hospitals around the world contribute chapters that review present research activity and importantly project the field into the future. The book is a must read for researchers, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in the fields of Neuroscience, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Molecular Medicine, Aging, Physiology, Pharmacology and Pathology.

The Janeway's Immunobiology CD-ROM, Immunobiology Interactive, is included with each book, and can be purchased separately. It contains animations and videos with voiceover narration, as well as the figures from the text for presentation purposes.