Current Immunology Reviews (Discontinued) - Volume 4, Issue 3, 2008

With a relative failing of linkage and candidate gene association studies, there has been much sceptism about the ability of geneticists to identify genes for common, complex disorders. In the field of the genetics of type 1 diabetes (T1D), more than twenty years of labor-intensive and cost-expensive effort has resulted in the identification of only four T1D- predisposing loci, which are as follows: Human Leucocyte Antigens (H Read More

With research continuing apace, significant bidirectional interdependence between the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS) has been demonstrated, with the intervention of common messengers, cofactors and biological response modifiers. Cytokines, or biologic response modifiers, peptide hormones and neurotransmitters, as well as their receptors/ligands, are endogenous to the brain, endocrine and imm Read More

The progression of synovial inflammation and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by a pronounced tumor-like expansion of the synovium. Neovascularization, which may play a pivotal role in the physiological and pathological condition, is a complex process involving endothelial cell division, selective degradation of vascular basement membranes and the surrounding extracellular matrix, and endothel Read More

The mucosal surface of the uterine cavity is a complex biosystem, which provides a barrier against the outside world and participates in both innate and acquired immune defense systems. This mucosal compartment has adapted to a dynamic, non-sterile environment challenged by a variety of antigenic/inflammatory stimuli associated with sexual intercourse and endogenous vaginal microbiota. Thus, the epithelial cells, fibrobla Read More

In developed countries, cancer has replaced infectious diseases as a major cause of death. Currently, efforts in the immunoprevention of cancer are beginning to resemble that presented by the prevention of infectious diseases by immunization a century ago. Breast cancer is the most frequent type of tumor in women and is the first cause of death by this illness, among them. Moreover, cancer incidence will grow durin Read More