Orchestration Of An Immune Response To Respiratory Pathogens

The macrophage (or “big eater”) is often considered the first cell type to encounter the causative agent of Tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, upon entry to the lung. Once inside the macrophage the tubercle bacillus can survive and even replicate where many other invading pathogens perish. Recent research suggests the bacilli adapts within this hostile environment, treating the macrophage like a Trojan horse. Indeed, cutting-edge techniques have revealed that the degree of bacterial heterogeneity and resistance to antibiotics changes within the macrophage. M. tuberculosis spends most of its life cycle within the macrophage and has adopted specific mechanisms to survive, egress and to recruit more of this niche cell (eg the Type VII secretion system ESX-1). Understanding the host-pathogen interaction in tuberculous infection is key to understanding TB, which remains the number one cause of death from a bacterial infection. In this research topic we aim to cover advances in understanding how the tubercle bacillus adapts and survives within the host cell. Determining the responsible mechanisms may reveal novel ways to target this deadly pathogen and halt its adaptation and transformation within these potentially destructive or permissive cells.

This title represents a broad review of current research on LAB and their novel applications with contributions from a number of well-known leading scientists. The book encompasses a wide range of topics including both traditional and novel developing fields, and provides unparalleled, comprehensive information on new advances of genomics, proteomics, metabolism and biodiversity of LAB. Chapters contain state-of-the-art discussions of specific LAB applications such as their use as probiotics, live vaccines and starter cultures in old and new fermented products. The safety of these microorganisms and their interactions with diverse ecosystems natural biota are also covered as well as the new applications of well-known (bacteriocins) and novel (vitamins, low-calorie sugars, etc.) metabolites produced by LAB. This book is an essential reference for established researchers and scientists, doctoral and post-doctoral students, university professors and instructors, and food technologists working on food microbiology, physiology and biotechnology of lactic acid bacteria.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, Human Respiratory Viral Infections is set at the level between the definitive reference work and an essential clinical manual. Exploring recent advances in human respiratory viral research, the text builds on the basic sciences of epidemiology, virology, molecular biology, and immunology to cover clinical diagnos

The only international clinical textbook for COPD – one of the top 5 causes of death and disability worldwide The only COPD textbook to include the latest national and international guidelines and the newer therapeutic agents in COPD treatment International team of contributors covers all aspects of COPD – from physiology and epidemiology to diagnosis and treatment Everything the busy physician needs to understand, diagnose and treat the COPD patient: Structure and physiology of the respiratory system Clinical considerations and allied conditions Therapy (including current and developing treatments) Diagnostic tests used in daily practice

This book comprehensively covers the microbiome in respiratory disease, from the initial research study to the disease-specific implications and related applications. Research on the respiratory microbiome is increasing in volume and scope. This reflects rapidly growing interest in the study of respiratory disease to understand how microbiota shape mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. The respiratory tract spans the nasal passages, sinus cavities, oropharynx, and the tracheobronchial tree of the lungs. In these compartments of the upper and lower respiratory tract, the microbiota have now been studied in the context of several chronic respiratory conditions. These include chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis, to name a few. The potential impact of ecological interactions (i.e., between microbes and between microbiota and host) within and across respiratory compartments is increasingly recognized. The book is organized into two main sections. Part I, Principles and Tools, covers conceptual modeling of the respiratory microbiome, experimental methodology with a focus on a priori considerations in study design and sampling, laboratory and computational methods for analysis of respiratory microbiome data, and minimizing interpretive pitfalls. Part II, Applications, discusses the evidence from specific studies that have shed novel insights into the influence of respiratory microbiota on mechanisms or outcomes in specific diseases. Based on current best evidence, disease-specific chapters include chronic rhinosinusitis, asthma (pediatric and adult studies), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), bronchiectasis not due to CF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and lung transplant. This is an ideal reference for forward-thinking practitioners with interest in novel developments in precision medicine applications in lung disease, as well as translational scientists in the field of microbiology, immunology and lung biology.