Immunopharmacology Of Free Radical Species

Free radicals have been implicated in a entire host of different human disease states, which suggests that although they may not have a pivotal causal role, they are involved in the perpetuation of disease. In recentyears, it has become evident that although free radicals most certainly do have this role in perpetuating inflammatory reactions, they have perhaps a far more important role in acting as second messenger systems to maintain normal cell function. It is theperturbations of these reactions which pose the most intriguing therapeutic challenges. This volume deals with various basic mechanisms of free radical processes and injury. The emphasis in each case is on potential therapeutic strategies developing fromthis new knowledge.

As in so many fields of scientific endeavour following the molecular biology revo lution, our knowledge of the role of radicals not only in pathological states, but in basic physiology has developed exponentially. Indeed, our evolving concepts have, like so many political parties, been forced into dramatic "V-turns" and contortions. Within our working lives, we have had to debate whether radicals made any con tribution to any pathology, whilst now it is difficult not to entertain the view that every physiological process is pivotally controlled by exquisitely sensitive radical reactions. Inflammation is, of course, an example of pathology evolving from physiology, and in this book we have called upon both scientists and clinicians who have research interests in the complex switching mechanisms that sustain these transi tions. The book as a whole explores, from a physiological standpoint, how deter ministic radical systems sensitive to their initial conditions can interdigitate, iterate and feed back to control diverse cellular processes that create the inflammatory response. Whilst systems such as these to a mathematician would provide the basis for a chaotic response, one is forced to marvel how, for all stages of an inflammatory reaction, this system appears exquisitely controlled, making therapeutic manipula tion both possible and, to some extent, predictable.

Diseases of the digestive system have a higher morbidity rate than any other group of disorder. There is a growing body of evidence that the immune system participates in the pathogenesis of a wide range of these diseases, including peptic ulcer disease and the gastropathy induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). For these reasons, efforts to develop novel therapies for digestive diseases are increasingly focused on the immune system. This volume reviews the immunopharmacology of the gastrointestinal tract at four distinct levels: Immunomodulation at a cellular level Cellular targers for immunomodulating drugs Specific classes of inflammatory mediators Utility and mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Platelets have long been the subject of much investigation in the areas of vascular physiology, biochemistry, immunology and physiopathology. Their ability to react to environmental stimuli, to modify their shape and metabolism despite being anuclear, has fascinated scientists.This volume looks specifically at the involvement of blood platelets outside their 'classical' field of application, in the physiopathological mechanics of allergy and inflammation. The coverage includes the role of platelets in bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases and in tumour cell interactions.

Immunopharmacology represents the boundary between the immune system and chemical mediators of the inflammatory and neuroendocrine responses. The subject as applied to the respiratory system embraces most of the common non-malignant lung diseases of which asthma and allied disorders are the most prevalent. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disorders provides rationale for prevention and drug treatment as well as creating opportunities for novel drug development. Immunopharmacology of Respiratory System embraces all of these principles and should enable the reader to become rapidly updated in an area of medical importance. Focuses on aspects of disease pathogenesis that are common to a variety of lung disorders Includes coverage of the mechanisms of asthma - origin, progression, and novel therapeutic interventions This volume is another in the "Systems" section of the Handbook of Immunopharmacology

The realisation that epithelial tissues are not simply passive barriers to the adsorption of materials into internal environments has brought about an enormous growth of investigation of mucosal functions and their active and passive protective roles. Epithelia are highly organized but complex structures, subserving numerous functions, including immunological defence. The use of pharmacological tools in these systems is increasing, which is improving our understanding of epithelial immunobiology. This volume adopts a step-by-step approach, whereby each chapter builds upon the previous one, progressively adding important foundation information, culminating in a series of chapters concerning particular epithelia, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal and ocular. The result is a comprehensive but integrated treatise of epithelial function and its immunopharmacology, which aims to serve as an appropriate starting point at which the clinical pulmonologist and the research scientist can obtain an appreciation of some aspects of epithelial immunopharmacology as they are currently understood.

The consequences for diseases involving the immune system such as AIDS, and chronic inflammatory diseases such as bronchial asthma, rheumatoid athritis, and atherosclerosis, now account for a considerable economic burden to governments worldwide. In response there has been an enormous research effort investigating the basic mechanisms underlying such diseases, and a tremendous drive to identify novel therapeutic applications for their preventions and treatment. Though a plethora of immunological studies have been published in recent years, little has been written about the implications of such research for drug development. As a consequence, this area has not gained the prominence of other new fields such as molecular pharmacology or neuropharmacology, and a focal information source for many pharmacologists interested in diseases of the immune system remains unpublished. The Handbook of Immunopharmacology series provides such a source through the commissioning of a comprehensive collection of volumes on all aspects immunopharmacology. Editors have been sought after for each volume who are not only active in their respective areas of expertise, but who also have distinctly pharmacological bias to their research. The series follows three main themes, each represented by volumes on individual component topics. The first covers each of the major cell types and classes of inflammatory responses that can affect them ("Systems"). The third covers different classes of diseases as well as those under development ("Drugs").

Continuing the tradition set by the first and second editions, each a bestseller in its own right, the third edition of Immunotoxicology and Immunopharmacology provides reviews of environmental agents, updated to reflect the latest information on how these agents influence immune system function and health. For the first time in the book's history, an entire section covers the phylogeny and ontogeny of the immune system, spanning levels of biological complexity from earthworms to marine mammals.