Ia Antigens Man And Other Species

The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a ready source of information regarding Ia antigens in several animal species.The significance role played by the gene products of I regions in cell-cell interactions has stimulated interest in the characterization of Ia antigens. Through the effort of several investigations much information about the functional and structural properties of Ia antigens has been accumulated in recent years.

The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a ready source of information regarding Ia antigens in several animal species.The significance role played by the gene products of I regions in cell-cell interactions has stimulated interest in the characterization of Ia antigens. Through the effort of several investigations much information about the functional and structural properties of Ia antigens has been accumulated in recent years.

This volume deals with the structure and function of molecules that have, during the last decade, turned out to have a central role in immune responses. Trans plantation antigens were discovered and characterized by Gorer about 50 years ago, and the biological basis for the unequalled complexity of their variability between individuals within a species, in spite of extreme conservation between species, was the subject of intense research and discussion for many years. During the days of belief in "immune surveillance" against spontaneously developing tumors, it was suggested that histoincompatibility between members of one species would prevent cancer from being a contagious disease and thus a threat to the species. Immunologists involved in human transplantation had to learn and care about the complexity, especially after 1967, when it was found that HLA antigens were the products of the human MHC. Rejection of HLA-identical sib kidney grafts was so rare, even in those days, that cases of rejection were described in scientific papers.

For many years, experiments using chimpanzees have been instrumental in advancing scientific knowledge and have led to new medicines to prevent life-threatening and debilitating diseases. However, recent advances in alternate research tools have rendered chimpanzees largely unnecessary as research subjects. The Institute of Medicine, in collaboration with the National Research Council, conducted an in-depth analysis of the scientific necessity for chimpanzees in NIH-funded biomedical and behavioral research. The committee concludes that while the chimpanzee has been a valuable animal model in the past, most current biomedical research use of chimpanzees is not necessary, though noted that it is impossible to predict whether research on emerging or new diseases may necessitate chimpanzees in the future.

Each issue lists papers published during the preceding year.

Advances in Immunology