Short description:

Immunologists today are interested in all of the diverse cell-types involved in host defense and have a deeper appreciation of the importance of innate immune mechanisms as a first line of protection against pathogens. This volume thus discusses the isolation and functional characterization of cells involved in innate immunity in mouse and man, including mast cells and eosinophils. Other focuses include natural killer cells, methods in statistics, in vivo imaging, genome engineering, and mutagenesis and culture that are adapted to the study of innate immunity in these hosts. These are complemented with a series of chapters dealing with alternative models: plants, worms, mosquitoes, flies, and fish. Together, these approaches and models are being used to dissect the complex interplay between hosts and pathogens and contribute to developing strategies to help fight infection.  With chapters written by experts on the cutting-edge of this technology, Innate Immunity is an essential reference for immunologists, histologists, geneticists, and molecular biologists.

Long description:

Immunologists today are interested in all of the diverse cell-types involved in host defense and have a deeper appreciation of the importance of innate immune mechanisms as a first line of protection against pathogens. This volume thus discusses the isolation and functional characterization of cells involved in innate immunity in mouse and man, including mast cells and eosinophils. Other focuses include natural killer cells, methods in statistics, in vivo imaging, genome engineering, and mutagenesis and culture that are adapted to the study of innate immunity in these hosts. These are complemented with a series of chapters dealing with alternative models: plants, worms, mosquitoes, flies, and fish. Together, these approaches and models are being used to dissect the complex interplay between hosts and pathogens and contribute to developing strategies to help fight infection.  With chapters written by experts on the cutting-edge of this technology, Innate Immunity is an essential reference for immunologists, histologists, geneticists, and molecular biologists.

From the reviews:

"The methods described in this book include step-by-step protocols to isolate cells that are involved in the innate immune response as well as a variety of other methods that could be useful. ? The book is written for laboratory researchers ? . It offers a detailed description of the reagents and procedures that are used for each of the protocols and could be used by immunologists, histologists, geneticists, and cell biologists. ? an excellent addition to any laboratory which could use these techniques." (Marion C. Cohen, Doody?s Review Service, December, 2008)

Table of Contents:

ENU Mutagenesis in Mice.- Innate Immunity Genes as Candidate Genes.- KIR Genotyping and Analysis.- Experimental Model for the Study of the Human Immune System.- Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Transgenesis Through Pronuclear Injection of Fertilized Mouse Oocytes.- Bioluminescence Imaging to Evaluate Infections and Host Response In Vivo.- Intravital Two-Photon Imaging of Natural Killer Cells and Dendritic Cells in Lymph Nodes.- Dissection of the Antiviral NK Cell Response by MCMV Mutants.- Analyzing Antibody?Fc-Receptor Interactions.- The Isolation and Identification of Murine Dendritic Cell Populations from Lymphoid Tissues and Their Production in Culture.- Analysis of Individual Natural Killer Cell Responses.- Isolation and Analysis of Human Natural Killer Cell Subsets.- Innate Immune Function of Eosinophils.- Ex Vivo and In Vitro Primary Mast Cells.- Murine Macrophages.- Clinical Analysis of Dendritic Cell Subsets.- Clinical Analysis of Human Natural Killer Cells.- Lentiviral Transduction of Immune Cells.- Axenic Mice Model.- In Vivo Analysis of Zebrafish Innate Immunity.- Reverse Genetics Analysis of Antiparasitic Responses in the Malaria Vector, Anopheles gambiae.- Drosophila Immunity.- Investigating the Involvement of Host Factors Involved in Intracellular Pathogen Infection by RNAi in Drosophila Cells.- Models of Caenorhabditis elegans Infection by Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens.- Genetic Analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans Innate Immunity.- Measuring Cell-Wall-Based Defenses and Their Effect on Bacterial Growth in Arabidopsis.