Interferon: The 50th Anniversary / Edition 1

by Paula M. Pitha

Overview

Over the last half of century interferon (IFN), originally discovered as an antiviral protein, has developed from an inhibitor of viral replication to a major force in the antiviral response. Initially studied only by few virologists, IFN was generally considered as a poorly defined protein of limited importance. The development of molecular techniques lead to the identification of a family of IFN genes and has shown an unexpected complexity of type I IFN genes and their expression. Presently, some aspects of the of the pathogen mediated induction of IFN gene expression are understood at molecular level, while others are still at the stage of description. Both Toll like receptors and cytoplasmic RNA helicases were shown to recognize viral nucleic acids and the basis of a distinct recognition of viral nucleic acids from the cellular ones are emerging. Important insights on the virus recognition entity, leading to the expression of interferon and interferon induced genes, have been made in the recent year, which are challenging the accepted concept of the critical role of dsRNA in IFN induction. The availability of genetically modified mice that are lacking either essential components of the interferon inducing pathway, or interferon signaling pathway fully confirmed the original idea, made soon after its discovery, that interferon is the first cellular defense against viral infection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642090448
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	11/29/2010
Series:	Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology , #316
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2007
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

Refletions.- How to Chase a Red Herring and Come up with a Smallmouth Bass.- Interferon Research BC (Before Cloning).- Purification and Cloning of Interferon Alpha.- Interferons and Their Signaling Pathways.- Type I Interferon: The Ever Unfolding Story.- The Receptor of the Type I Interferon Family.- IFN-γ: Recent Advances in Understanding Regulation of Expression, Biological Functions, and Clinical Applications.- Cell Type-Specific Signaling in Response to Interferon-α Interferon Research: Impact on Understanding Transcriptional Control.- Recognition of Pathogens, Molecular Mechanism of Interferon Beta Induction.- TLR-Mediated Activation of Type I IFN During Antiviral Immune Responses: Fighting the Battle to Win the War.- Regulation of Antiviral Innate Immune Responses by RIG-I Family of RNA Helicases.- Beyond Double-Stranded RNA-Type I IFN Induction by 3pRNA and Other Viral Nucleic Acids.- Interferon-Induced Genes.- The Interferon-Stimulated Genes: Targets of Direct Signaling by Interferons, Double-Stranded RNA, and Viruses.- Structure and Function of the Protein Kinase R.- Virus Defense.- Viral Regulation and Evasion of the Host Response.- Pathogenic Viruses: Smart Manipulators of the Interferon System.- Role of Interferon in Viral Infection and Autoimmunity.- Type I Interferon During Viral Infections: Multiple Triggers for a Multifunctional Mediator.- Type I Interferon in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"This compilation commemorates the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the first cytokine, interferon (IFN), by Isaacs and Lindermann … . The editor has succeeded in compiling a small book that should satisfy readers interested in the history of IFN as well as those who want a convenient overview of the current status of the field. The book is written for scientists and, in particular, serious students of ‘interferonolgy’ … . This is a nice addition to the many compilations on IFN … ." (Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, Doody’s Review Service, July, 2008)

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly, PhD (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-NJMS)
Description: This compilation commemorates the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the first cytokine, interferon (IFN), by Isaacs and Lindenmann, beginning with the recollections of codiscoverer Lindenmann and moving on to descriptions of the current understanding of the interferon system.
Purpose: The editor's purpose is to acknowledge the early work in the field of IFN biology as well as to bring the reader up to date with reviews of the current understanding of IFN, particularly in the area of the innate antiviral immune response. This monograph joins several special journal issues commemorating this important anniversary. The editor has succeeded in compiling a small book that should satisfy readers interested in the history of IFN as well as those who want a convenient overview of the current status of the field.
Audience: The book is written for scientists and, in particular, serious students of "interferonology," but the early chapters should also appeal to history of science buffs. The editor's stated goal is to stimulate a new generation of scientists to enter the "ever-evolving IFN field." Certainly, there is more than enough room in the field for new investigators to carry it into the next half-century, and such investigators should find this book to be a nice synopsis of the field. The editor, a major contributor to the field of molecular biology of IFN, was the recipient of the top award from the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research, the Milstein Award, and was recently awarded the 2008 ISICR Honorary Membership Award for lifetime contributions to the field of IFN research.
Features: The book is arranged in sections, beginning with reflections and continuing through several sections that describe the molecular biology, host resistance, IFN-induced genes, viral defense, and autoimmunity. While not comprehensive, the book touches on many of the important areas relevant to the biology of IFN. Surprisingly missing, however, is a separate chapter on IFN as a therapeutic, with IFN-alpha and -beta representing the first blockbuster therapeutic cytokines.
Assessment: This is a nice addition to the many compilations on IFN and, with the chapter by the discoverer of IFN himself, John Lindenmann, is a fitting tribute on the occasion of this important 50th anniversary.

Doody's Review Service