Part of the prestigious Novartis Foundation series, this volume uniquely addresses the use of innate immunity to treat or prevent infectious diseases of the lung. Innate Immunity to Pulmonary Infection : provides a comprehensive overview of pulmonary infectious diseases, including basic pathology, current and potential therapies, and detailed consideration of the innate biological resistance mechanisms in the lung; thoroughly examines the major topic of innate immunity in immunology, which is now seen as key to the pathogenesis of and vaccination strategies for infectious diseases; describes the genetic and environmental factors which determine the outcome of infection, such as latency of Tuberculosis, blood stream invasion from local infection, and local target tissue damage; covers the roles of cells such as neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells and of molecular components such as Toll-like receptors; and, discusses the clinical applications of the new knowledge regarding innate immunity and how this can be used in both treatment and prevention (vaccination) strategies. It includes contributions from an international and interdisciplinary group of experts.
Innate Immunity to Pulmonary Infection is an essential resource for researchers in both industry and academia. It is of interest for all those interested in the disciplines of immunology, virology, biology, biotechnology and genetics.