Guide to Signal Pathways in Immune Cells / Edition 1

by E. Nigel Wardle

Overview

To read current biomedical science, one has to have a working knowledge of how important effector molecules cause transduction of their signal within cells, altering the control of genes. This work aims to provide that basic knowledge for medical readers. Students of immunology or cell biology will note its relevance. One will learn how platelets, macrophages, neutrophils, T and B lymphocytes and natural killer cells perform their functions and how skin, breast, prostate and colon cancers emerge. The associated diagrams and tables are used to obviate extensive text. Appropriate references to articles and reviews by workers in each field are given so that further consideration can easily be undertaken. We are all at differing stages of our appreciation of immunology and of pat- physiology. Some persons will have a profound background in biochemistry or molecular biology. Others will have a reminiscence of lectures received years ago. Since this work is principally for clinical doctors, the sections that can be avoided at first reading are marked with an asterisk (*). Always proceed line by line and think of associations that you know. Do you feel comfortable with the statement, “Interleukin 6 stimulates glucose uptake in renal proximal tubular cells, and that action is associated with Stat3, PI3K/Akt, MAPKs and NF-kB signal pathways”? If not, please read on.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617379079
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	11/05/2010
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2009
Pages:	415
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

Cellular Activation Processes.- Cell Membrane Receptors and Phospholipids.- Platelet Aggregation and Its Control.- to Signalling Cascades.- Cell Proliferation.- Mast Cell Activation and the Role of Eicosanoids.- Lipid Products and Cell Signaling.- Programmed Cell Death: Apoptosis.- Control of the Cytoskeleton.- Leucocyte Activation and Behaviour.- Cell Defence and Survival.- Signalling in Immune Reactions.- T Lymphocytes.- Immunological Controls.- Natural Killer Cells.- B Lymphocytes.- The Cell Cycle.- Cancer.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

“This book describes the basic signaling pathways that are used by cells of the immune system … . The target audience is students, particularly those interested in immune mechanisms. Another group that may find it useful includes physicians who have not kept up with the signal transduction pathway literature and need updated information. … It would certainly be useful for clinicians who have not kept up to date on these pathways and do not have the time to search for review articles.” (Marion C. Cohen, Doody’s Review Service, December, 2009)

“I found this to be a remarkable book. The scope of the volume is very wide, covering both the generalities and specifics of cell signalling in the immune system. … General areas … are succinctly covered with informative tables and appropriate line drawings. … An excellent book which one would be happy to find in the library … .” (Eric Blair, Microbiology Today, January, 2010)

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Marion C. Cohen, PhD (SUNY Downstate Medical Center)
Description: This book describes the basic signaling pathways that are used by cells of the immune system: neutrophils, macrophages, B and T lymphocytes, NK cells, and mast cells, although basophils have not been included. Thus the book focuses on certain signal transduction pathways that are, broadly speaking, those that act on G protein-coupled receptors and those that are receptor tyrosine kinases. The book then goes on to describe the downstream events that follow.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide information on the understanding of basic signal transduction pathways in a manner that is suitable for students of immunology or cell biology as well as for other medical personnel. It does provide the basic information that a neophyte might need. Perhaps more importantly it provides easily accessible information for clinicians who may not be up to date on the subject. It is certainly a convenient source of information all in one place, but it should be noted that there are many reviews in various journals that deal with one or more of the pathways described in this book.
Audience: The target audience is students, particularly those interested in immune mechanisms. Another group that may find it useful includes physicians who have not kept up with the signal transduction pathway literature and need updated information. In fact, advanced students might find it insufficient for their purposes. The author is primarily interested in renal disease and, of the various pathways described in the book, he seems to be most focused on the NFkB pathway of cell activation.
Features: The book provides information on cell signaling pathways in general as well as focusing on pathways within individual types of immune cells. Although the primary concentration is on the cells involved in the immune response, the final chapter deals with cancer, including solid tumors. One of the unusual features is the asterisk marking each section that can be postponed for studying until the reader feels comfortable with the very basic concepts. The book uses many tables and figures and, although the figures are black and white, they make their points well. Since it takes time to produce a book, the references are not completely up to date, although there are a few as recent as 2008.
Assessment: This would be a handy reference for students who are beginning studies on signaling pathways. It would certainly be useful for clinicians who have not kept up to date on these pathways and do not have the time to search for review articles. But for someone who has access to a large medical library at an academic institution and knows how to use databases, the information is accessible in other ways.

Doody's Review Service