Synopsis
A review of the innate immune system, utilizing the concepts of cellular and molecular biology. Covers all aspects of innate immunity with an emphasis on response to infectious agents. Focuses on evolutionary aspects, describing the major cells, humoral factors, receptors, and effector responses central to innate immunity and its important relation to acquired immunity. Includes in-depth treatment of the performance of the innate immune system in various situations, including bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infection. Serves as a valuable reference source for scientists and students active in all areas of immunology and microbiology, as well as virology, parasitology, and infectious diseases.
Reviews
Some of the most exciting recent advances in immunology have been made in a field that has languished for too long: that of the innate immune system, particularly the complex web of first-response molecules that compose it. Immunologic research in the past three decades has rushed to characterize critical dichotomies in immune response -- such as the B and T lymphocytes, CD4 and CD8 T cells, and humoral as compared with cellular immunity -- whereas the investigation of innate immune pathways has proceeded at a slower (but steady) rate. Now, however, it is time for a fine book on the subject, and Kaufmann and colleagues have produced it. The Innate Immune Response to Infection is devoted to the burgeoning field of innate immunity, specifically as it relates to the response to infection. There is no question that a book of such breadth and quality is a welcome addition to the current medical literature.
Reading the book is a great pleasure, because it not only presents convincing and insightful discussions of specific pathways but also highlights the enormous importance of innate immunity. This book addresses the basis of the innate immune response in humans, and in concise comparative analyses it underscores the importance of this system. Several chapters deserve notice for their excellence. The chapter on the biology of neutrophils reviews some of the current challenges in the field, such as the question of how neutrophils sense and kill pathogens. The elegant discussion of the development of the innate immune system sets the stage for an insightful examination of microbicidal pathways. The section on receptors raises interesting points about the function and overlap of receptor activities. My favorite part of the book is the preface, which makes the case for the importance of studying innate immunity. It should be read by everyone who picks up this book.
Do we need a review of innate immunity now? The answer is yes. Readers of the Journal have recently seen many articles that concern the role of innate-response pathways (e.g., C-reactive protein, interleukins, and cytokines) in cardiovascular, infectious, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune disorders. This book will serve as a firm foundation for understanding the information in such articles and should have wide appeal.
Stephen Chanock, M.D.
Copyright © 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.
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