The rapid developments in immunology in recent immunomodulatory drugs can be distinguished years have dramatically expanded our knowledge of from their beneficial therapeutic effects. mammalian host defence mechanisms. The molecu- Currently,it is only possible to obtain an overview lar mechanisms of cellular interactions during of these various aspects of immunopharmacology immune responses have been unravelled,the intra- by reading a range of immunological,pharmacol- cellular responses involved in signal transduction ical,diagnostic and toxicological literature. Good delineated and an ever-increasing number of soluble immunological textbooks are available, while mediators of immune and inflammatory reponses immunopharmacology is covered mainly in terms of have been discovered. the inflammatory response. Principles of Immuno- The initial result of this explosion of knowledge pharmacology is intended to provide for the first time has been to provide the researcher and the clinician in a single volume a basic understanding of with an arsenal of diagnostic tools with which the immunological mechanisms,a review of important immunological bases of disease processes can be immunodiagnostic tools and a description of the investigated. This has made disease diagnosis much main pharmacological agents which modify the more precise,enabling the physician to tailor therapy immune response,together with an introduction to much more closely to the individual patient’s needs. immunotoxicology. As such we hope that it will be However,better understanding of disease processes useful as a reference text for physicians,researchers only provides a gradual improvement in therapy. This and students with a rudimentary knowledge of is because the new molecular targets that have been immunology.
This single volume represents an additional text for students who require background information on the immune response, its diagnosis and its modification by drugs and chemicals. The first section of the book, providing a basic introduction to immunology and its relevance for human disease, has been updated to accommodate new immunological concepts. The second section on immunodiagnostics has been further expanded to describe widely used molecular techniques and is followed by a systematic coverage of drugs affecting the immune system, revised to cover recent developments. The book concludes with a chapter on immunotoxicology.
This second edition, thus, continues the unique format, dealing with four related topics in a single volume, obviating the need to refer to several different textbooks. New aids to readers include a two-column format, glossaries of technical terms and an appendix of reference tables. The emphasis on illustrations from the first edition is maintained. The book, written by international experts, is suitable as a course textbook for students of various biomedical, chemical and pharmaceutical sciences and as a supporting text for medical and postgraduate students.
