A compendium of optimized methods to measure type I interferon efficacy as an antiproliferative or an antiviral agent. These cutting-edge techniques range from the simple to the highly complex and serve to illuminate the signaling cascades and the activation of enzymatic pathways prompted by interferon. The protocols follow the successful...

12 The average human body has in the order of 10 circulating platelets. They are crucial for hemostasis, and yet excessive platelet activation is a major cause of m- bidity and mortality in western societies. It is therefore not surprising that platelets have become one of the most extensively investigated biological cell types. We are,...

Leading researchers review the activation of the mammalian immune system by bacterial DNA and its immunostimulatory sequences (ISS), and consider the applications of ISS in clinical medicine. The authors survey the latest findings concerning the receptor-recognition and signaling pathways triggered by ISS , the process of cell activation, and...

Active neuroscientists survey NSCs as potential tools for central nervous system and spinal cord repair by explaining their clinically significant fundamental properties, manipulations, and potential therapeutic paradigms. Their discussion of the fundamental biology of NSCs illustrates the signaling pathways that regulate stem cell division...

Characterized by obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, metabolic syndrome is associated with the risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Obesity, which increases the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and subsequently leads to increased stress and inflammation, appears to play a...

Cytokine involvement in the immune system's response to stress is now very well documented. Cytokine activity has been implicated in a variety of mental and physical diseases, and has been shown to have a significant role in fueling the vicious circle of depression and illness.

The first edition of Cytokines: Stress and...

Specifically focusing on the redox regulation of cell signaling responsible for oxidative stress and inflammatory tissue damage, this reference provides a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge research on the intracellular events mediating or preventing oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory processes induced by endogenous and xenobiotic...