Advances in Pharmacology, Volume 91, the latest release in this well-received series, presents the latest information in the field, with this update including chapters on Modulation of inflammation and immune response by the stress-activated transcription factor Nrf2, Therapeutic modulation of macrophage phenotype to treat acute and chronic liver diseases, Immodulation by cannabinoids, The use of nanomaterials to target immunity, Next generation in cancer immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, Vaccines as a therapy for food allergy, Role of inflammation/immune system in depression, Therapeutic targeting of tumor-associated macrophages, Mast cells, and more. Includes the authority and expertise of leading contributors in pharmacology Presents the latest release in the Advances in Pharmacology series

The second of two volumes covering the most recent developments in this new field. Like the previous volume, this book brings together the two fields of immunology and pharmacology, and offers a review format for advances in basic aspects, as well as an update in discussion format of therapy-related advances.

With the publication of this third volume in the series, immunopharmacology has established itself as a separate discipline with relevance to oncology, rheumatology, allergy and other medical fields. The manipulation of the immune response is becoming the basis of all modern therapeutics. This volume gathers together symposia and workshop sessions, representing a comprehensive review of the advancing frontier of immunopharmacology.

Immunopharmacology as a field of scientific endeavor had its origins more than thirty years ago in the application of antibody-based techniques to assays of hormones and drugs in tissues and body fluids. More recently, the field has been redefined to include a primary focus on the immune system as a target of xenobiotic action. Advances in the field of immunology have made it apparent that the immune system, like other organ systems, declines in its function as a result of aging, viral infections like AIDS, and other immunotoxic influences, giving rise to secondary immunodeficiency. Deficiencyof the immune system in turn leads to infections, autoimmune diseases, and an increased incidence of certain cancers. The notion of treating the failing immune system is relatively new; however, more than a decade of research on cancer and AIDS has created the burgeoning new clinical field of immunotherapy. Immunopharmacology then stands as the preclinical and clinical science of immune manipulation. As such, like its parent field of pharmacology, it includes within its scope basic studies of immune mechanisms as they relate to the pathogenesis of inflammation and immunologic disturbances. As with pharma cology, the perspective is always a therapeutic one. Studies of immune and inflammatory processes emphasize the use of pharmacologic probes and drugs to elucidate the underlying biochemical pharmacology.

Advances in Immunopharmacology documents the proceedings of the First International Conference on Immunopharmacology held in Brighton, England, in July 1980. The volume contains 60 papers organized into 10 parts. The papers in Part I examine the pharmacology of immunotherapeutic drugs and immunotoxicology. Part II presents studies on thymic hormones. Part III is devoted to immunopharmacologic approaches to diseases other than cancer. Part IV deals with mechanisms of chemotaxis degranulation and microbicidal action. Part V focuses on cancer immunopharmacology and immunotherapy while Part VI covers the mechanisms of inflammatory and allergic processes. Part VII takes up the immune testing of the actions of immunotherapeutic agents. Part VIII discusses prostaglandins and macrophage suppression. Part IX is devoted to selected topics such as mechanism of action of soluble immune response suppressor and new approaches to the therapy of allergic diseases. Part X presents discussions during the therapy communication sessions.

During the past decades, with the introduction of the recombinant DNA, hybridoma and transgenic technologies there has been an exponential evolution in understanding the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of a large number of human diseases. The technologies are evident with the development of cytokines and monoclonal antibodies as therapeutic agents and the techniques used in gene therapy. Immunopharmacology is that area of biomedical sciences where immunology, pharmacology and pathology overlap. It concerns the pharmacological approach to the immune response in physiological as well as pathological events. This goals and objectives of this textbook are to emphasize the developments in immunology and pharmacology as they relate to the modulation of immune response. The information includes the pharmacology of cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, mechanism of action of immune-suppressive agents and their relevance in tissue transplantation, therapeutic strategies for the treatment of AIDS and the techniques employed in gene therapy. The book is intended for health care professional students and graduate students in pharmacology and immunology.