The Autoimmune Diseases

Book excerpt: The Autoimmune Diseases, Sixth Edition, emphasizes the "3 P's" of 21st Century medicine: precision, prediction and prevention. Topics cover the modern systems approach to biology that involves large amounts of personalized, ongoing physiologic data ("omics") coupled with advanced methods of analysis, new tests of genetic engineering, such as CRISPR, auto inflammatory diseases, autoimmune responses to tumor immunotherapy, and information on normal immune response and disorders. Each of the major autoimmune disorders is discussed by researchers and clinical investigators experienced in dealing with patients. Chapters emphasize the immunologic basis of the disease as well as the use of immunologic diagnostic methods and treatments. The book also covers several cross-cutting issues related to the recognition and treatment of autoimmune diseases, including chapters on the measurement of autoantibodies and T cells, the use of biomarkers as early predictors of disease, and new methods of treatment. - Gives a thorough and important overview on the entire field, framing individual disease chapters with information that compares and contrasts each disorder and its therapy - Provides thorough, up-to-date information on specific diseases, along with clinical applications in an easily found reference for clinicians and researchers interested in certain diseases - Keeps readers abreast of current trends and emerging areas in the field - Ensures that content is not only up-to-date, but applicable and relevant - Includes new, updated chapters that emphasize hot topics in the field, e.g., research on auto inflammatory diseases and autoimmune responses following cancer immunotherapy