Inflammation Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology, 225)

Inflammation has been described as the basis of many pathologies of human disease. When one considers the updated signs of inflammation, they would be vasodilation, cell migration, and, in the case of chronic inflam- tion, cell proliferation, often with an underlying autoimmune basis. Gen- ally, inflammation may be divided into acute, chronic, and autoimmune, - though the editors believe that most, if not all, chronic states are often the result of an autoimmune response to an endogenous antigen. Thus, a proper understanding of the inflammatory basis may provide clues to new therap- tic targets not only in classical inflammatory diseases, but atherosclerosis, cancer, and ischemic heart disease as well. The lack of advances in classical inflammatory diseases, such as rh- matoid arthritis, may in part arise from a failure to classify the disease into different forms. That different forms exist is exemplified in patients with d- fering responses to existing antiinflammatory drugs, ranging from nonresponders to very positive responders for a particular nonsteroidal an- inflammatory drug (NSAID). Though researchers have progressively unr- eled the mechanisms, the story is far from complete. It should also be noted that the inflammatory response is part of the innate immune response, or to use John Hunter’s words in 1795, “inflammation is a salutary response.” That may be applied in particular to the defensive response to invading micro- ganisms.

Because inflammation is involved in many chronic human diseases, its proper understanding may provide important clues to new therapeutic targets. In Inflammation Protocols, highly skilled experimenters present key techniques for the multidisciplinary study of inflammation in such conditions as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, renal disease, and cardiovascular disease. Described in step-by-step detail to ensure experimental success, the techniques are focused on the research and development of potential new antiinflammatory drugs in active target areas. The protocols are suitable for many current areas of drug discovery research, including transcription factors, cytokines, adhesion molecules, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, free radicals, nitric oxide synthases, complement activation, angiogenesis, wound healing, immune rejection, and metalloproteinases. The methods provide in vitro systems for studying inflammation, in vivo models, and relevant pharmacodynamic measurements for the assessment of antiinflammatory compounds. Each protocol contains notes about potential pitfalls and tips on how to avoid failure. Overview chapters at the start of each section review the significance and potential limitations of the protocols presented.
Cutting-edge and highly practical, Inflammation Protocols offers experimental and clinical researchers a premier collection of readily reproducible techniques not only for evaluating inflammatory disease processes, but also for the discovery of new drugs for treating chronic human inflammatory diseases today.