Designed as an introductory textbook, Infection, Resistance and Immunity provides basic information on the workings of the immunological system and on infectious processes and their control. With sections on immunological disorders, immunization, immunodiagnosis, and epidemiology, it relates immunology to practical problems in medicine. The book includes a section on comparative immunology, introducing students to differences among immunological systems among common species of nonhuman animals. Written for the advanced undergraduate, the focus is on host-parasite interactions—distinguishing this text from other standard texts, which focus on the cellular mechanisms of the immune response.

This book is published on the occasion of the Royal Entomological Society's Symposium on Insect infection and immunity in Sheffield, July 15-17 2009.

Molecular Plant Immunity provides an integrated look at both well-established and emerging concepts in plant disease resistance providing the most current information on this important vitally important topic within plant biology. Understanding the molecular basis of the plant immune system has implications on the development of new varieties of sustainable crops, understanding the challenges plant life will face in changing environments, as well as providing a window into immune function that could have translational appeal to human medicine. Molecular Plant Immunity opens with chapters reviewing how the first line of plant immune response is activated followed by chapters looking at the molecular mechanisms that allow fungi, bacteria, and oomycetes to circumvent those defenses. Plant resistance proteins, which provide the second line of plant immune defense, are then covered followed by chapters on the role of hormones in immunity and the mechanisms that modulate specific interaction between plants and viruses. The final chapters look at model plant-pathogen systems to review interaction between plants and fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. Written by a leading team of international experts, Molecular Plant Immunity will provide a needed resource to diverse research community investigated plant immunity.

The concept of innate immunity refers to the first-line host defense that serves to limit infection in the early hours after exposure to microorganisms. Recent data have highlighted similarities between pathogen recognition, signaling pathways, and effector mechanisms of innate immunity in Drosophila and mammals, pointing to a common ancestry of these defenses. In addition to its role in the early phase of defense, innate immunity in mammals appears to playa key role in stimulating the subsequent clonal response of adaptive immunity. Recent exciting information has determined that the templates that are laid down in primitive life forms, like flowering plants and insects, form the basic principles of first line host defense that are conserved in mammalian systems. The next frontier in the field is to understand the dynamic adaptive changes that occur as a result of the inter play between host defenses and infectious agents. One emerging theme is that microorganisms are constantly seeking ways to co-opt host defenses. On the other hand, host defense to infection is mediated by the coordinate action of pattern recognition molecules and receptors that, in mammals, are important and probably necessary antecedents to the development of an adaptive immune response. Innate Immunity aims to explore the intersection between host pathogen interactions across an evolutionary spectrum that will inform our understanding of the dynamic interplay between infectious agents and host defense in man.

During the past few decades, drugs of abuse, including marijuana, cocaine, opiates, and alcohol have been studied in detail by biomedical scientists in terms of their effects on the neurophysiology and psychological responses of individuals. Research over the last few years has provided increased knowledge about possible mechanisms by which such drugs increase the likelihood of infections in humans and experimental animals. In Drugs of Abuse, Immunity, and Infections prominent investigators review important new information concerning the effects of recreational drugs on susceptibility to infection by microorganisms. The volume examines the effects of drugs such as cocaine, morphine, marijuana, and opiates on immunity in humans and animals. It covers the molecular and cellular mechanisms of drug-induced immunosuppression and describes the overall enhanced susceptibility to infection in recreational drug users. It discusses the alteration of susceptibility to the retrovirus that causes the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the consensus that drugs of abuse may serve as a possible cofactor in the progression of AIDS. Drugs of Abuse, Immunity, and Infections also includes important information concerning public health aspects of drugs of abuse and infection.

Topic Editors Dr. Bagnoli and Dr. Phogat are employed by GlaxoSmithKline plc. The other Topic Editors Declare no conflict of interest in relation to the Research Topic theme

This volume reviews the immune system of domestic ruminants, with particular emphasis on mechanisms of immunity and resistance to infectious diseases.

Plants constantly face many kinds of abiotic and biotic stresses. One of the major threats is from many plant fungal, oomycete, viral, bacterial and nematode pathogens. Plant diseases caused by these pathogens reduce crop yield by 10-15% worldwide every year. Throughout the human history, plant diseases are responsible for many famines including the infamous Irish Potato Famine. Besides the negative impact on the yield, the quality of the infected crop will be adversely affected and the toxins produced by plant pathogens pose threat to human health. During the co-evolution between plants and pathogens, plants developed elegant defense system against pathogen infection and plant pathogens deploy a variety of strategies to suppress plant innate immunity. A deeper understanding the molecular mechanisms on the activation of plant defense in plants and suppression of plant defense by plant pathogens will be crucial to develop effective ways to minimize the detrimental effects from plant diseases on human beings. This Research Topic aims to increase our understanding on the molecular interactions between plants and pathogens.