Focusing on the historical development of immune surveillance against tumors, this book examines the evolution of immunotherapy and the concept of immunoediting. It presents evidence supporting and challenging the immune surveillance theory, highlighting the immune system's critical role in detecting tumors. The text discusses tumor cell strategies to evade immune attacks, supported by findings from animal models and clinical cases. It also addresses the paradox of cancer development in individuals with normal immune function, illustrating the complexity of tumor immunity.
Exploring the intricacies of vascular system development, this book delves into the latest research and discoveries in the field. It highlights the molecular mechanisms and genetic factors that influence vascular formation, providing a comprehensive overview of both normal and pathological processes. The text serves as a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians, offering insights that could lead to innovative therapeutic approaches for vascular-related diseases.
Exploring the intricate relationship between tumors and their surrounding microenvironment, this book delves into how various factors influence tumor growth and progression. It examines cellular interactions, signaling pathways, and the role of immune cells, providing a comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment's impact on cancer biology. By integrating cutting-edge research and insights, it aims to highlight potential therapeutic strategies targeting these interactions to inhibit tumor expansion, making it essential for researchers and clinicians in oncology.
Mast cells are ancient immune cells found throughout the human body, particularly near connective tissues and surfaces exposed to the environment. They play a crucial role in initiating defense mechanisms against foreign invaders and are central to type I hypersensitivity reactions. Beyond allergic responses, mast cells are involved in host defense against various pathogens and contribute to both acquired and innate immunity. Additionally, they have significant non-immunological functions, influencing tissue homeostasis, remodeling, fibrosis, and angiogenesis.
The book presents recent advances in the field of angiogenesis and antiangiogenesis. Starting with the hypothesis of Judah Folkman that tumor growth is angiogenesis dependent, this area of research now has a solid scientific foundation. Tumor growth, metastasis, progression, dormancy and apoptosis depend on angiogenesis: several clinical studies have shown a positive correlation between the number of vessels in the tumor, metastasis formation and disease prognosis. A number of approaches have been developed to inhibit tumor angiogenesis, and numerous compounds discovered that inhibit angiogenesis, but only a few of them proved effective in vivo and only a couple of agents were able to induce tumor regression. These and other related developments described in the book should prove to be of interest to a large number of readers wishing to keep abreast with the latest developments in the field.
The aim if this book is to analyze the scientific biography of Judah Folkman, one of the most important scientist of the last century. More 50 years ago, Folkman found a revolutionary new way to think about cancer. Blood supply, Folkman hypothesized, was the key to tumor growth. Without new blood vessels, tumors simply did not thrive. In 1971, Folkman published his theory of angiogenesis in the “New England Journal of Medicine”. Angiogenesis, the formation and recruitment of new blood vessels, is necessary for tumor growth. Critics of the theory were silenced over time as Folkman and his colleagues reported the first purified angiogenic molecule, the first angiogenesis inhibitor and proposed the concept of angiogenic disease. The mechanism of angiogenesis is now a worldwide field of investigation. Over the years, Folkman and a growing team of researchers have isolated the proteins and unraveled the processes that regulate angiogenesis. Meanwhile, a new generation of angiogenesis research has emerged as well, widening the field into new areas of human disease and deepening it to examine the underlying biological processes responsible for those diseases.
Exploring pivotal advancements in the field of immunology, this collection showcases significant research and discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the immune system. It highlights key papers that contributed to the development of immunological concepts and therapies, providing insights into the evolution of the discipline. The work serves as a valuable resource for both students and professionals, illustrating the historical context and ongoing impact of immunological research on health and disease management.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of in vivo models used to study angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation. It covers various experimental techniques and methodologies, offering insights into their applications in research and potential therapeutic implications. The text emphasizes the importance of these models in understanding vascular biology and disease mechanisms, making it a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of biomedicine and pharmacology.
Focusing on the interplay between immune cells and angiogenesis, this book analyzes how both innate and adaptive immune components contribute to endothelial cell behavior, influencing inflammation and tumor growth. It explores the historical context linking chronic inflammation to cancer, highlighting the role of leukocytes in tumors. The text also discusses the balance of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors, suggesting potential pharmacological applications of immune cells as anti-angiogenic agents. It serves as a resource for researchers and graduate students in the field.
This book traces significant aspects of the history of immunology, exploring the immune system and immunodeficiency. The author recounts human hematopoietic development, and how a distinction of the immune system into thymus-dependent and thymus-independent components has been demonstrated in different animal species, including amphibians, birds, and mammals. Other themes explored in this book include discoveries about the role of the thymus of the Bursa of Fabricius in the development of immunologic competence, and observations on the changes in the lymphoid organs after bursectomy and thymectomy in chickens. Readers will discover how the bursa provides a unique microenvironment for the proliferation and differentiation of B cells, while thymectomized and irradiated animals were deficient in lymphocytes that mediated inflammatory responses, as assessed by skin graft rejection, delayed-type hypersensitivity, and graft versus host reaction. A clear perspective for understanding several diseases and also the entire lymphoid system emerges through the experiments and extensive histopathological studies of patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases that are described in these chapters. Researchers in the life sciences, in biomedicine and the history of medicine will all find something of value in this highly engaging work. It will also appeal to those with an interest in public health and neurobiology.
