Progress in Immunology VI

Book excerpt: Progress in Immunology VI: Sixth International Congress of Immunology contains the proceedings of the Sixth International Congress of Immunology held in 1986. The papers review advances that have been made in the field of immunology and cover topics ranging from ontogeny and differentiation of B and T lymphocytes to diversification of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors. Antigen presentation and processing, the complement system, and regulation of the immune response are also discussed. Comprised of 105 chapters, this book first explores the developmental biology of the immune system by focusing on the origins of selective theories of antibody formation and the clonal selection hypothesis. Clonal selection and the problem of immunologic tolerance are also considered. Subsequent chapters deal with the structure and function of recognition structures; B cell subsets and B cell activation; T cell subsets and T cell activation; lymphokines and growth factors; and autoimmune disorders. The remaining sections are devoted to oncogenesis and tumor immunity; the response of the host to the environment; and host-graft relationship. This monograph will be of interest to immunologists and biologists.