Biological Response Modifiers: New Approaches to Disease Intervention

Biological Response Modifiers: New Approaches to Disease Intervention focuses on biological response modifiers (BRMs) and the ways they provide novel approaches to disease control. It examines how BRMs act through an organism's own biological response mechanisms and how their mechanisms of action can be utilized to develop new modalities of chemotherapy. Organized into 15 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of specific agents and approaches to biological therapy, the basic concepts of immunity, and BRM screening. It then discusses interferons and their immunoregulatory functions; mechanism of interferon action; how nucleic acids and polynucleotides regulate the immune system; clinical applications of thymosins and other thymic hormones; the antibacterial and antineoplastic properties of tuftsin; and production and characterization of tumor necrosis factor. The reader is also introduced to detection and activity of colony-stimulating factor; the role of neuroendocrine hormones in the immune system; chalones and other endogenous inhibitors of cell proliferation; biochemistry of lymphotoxins; muramyl peptides as immunopharmacological response modifiers; biological activities of transfer factor in leukocyte dialysates; and requirements for activation and growth of human lymphocytes. This book is a valuable resource for immunologists, clinicians, biochemists, and organic/medicinal chemists.

Table of Contents:
Contributors Preface 1. Introduction I. Biologicals and Biological Response Modifiers II. Clinical Approaches III. BRM Screening IV. Biological Therapy: Specific Agents and Approaches V. Perspectives References 2. Basic Concepts of Immunity I. Introduction II. Cellular Participants in the Immune System III. Basic Characteristics of the Immune Response IV. Lymphocyte Subpopulations V. Mechanisms of Cell-Cell Communication and Immune Regulation VI. Immune Regulation VII. Importance o f the MHC Proteins VIII. Summary References 3. Immunoregulatory Functions of Interferon I. Introduction II. Interferon Production by Lymphoid Cells III. Interferon y and the Lymphokine Circuit IV. Effects of Interferon on Immune Cells and Immune Responses V. Interferon and Class II Antigen Expression VI. Interferons in Immunologically Related Disorders VII. Conclusions References 4. How Interferon Works I. Introduction II. Mechanism of Interferon Action: The 2-5A System III. Interferon-Induced Disease and 2-5A IV. Interferon-Induced dsRNA-Activated Protein Kinase V. Effects of Interferon Treatment on Methylation VI. Effects of Interferon Treatment on Tryptophan Metabolism VII. Effects of Interferon on the Cell Membrane VIII. Miscellaneous Interferon Effects IX. Summary References 5. Regulation of the Immune System by Nucleic Acids and Polynucleotides I. Introduction II. Nucleic Acids as Immunomodulating Agents III. Adjuvant Action of Synthetic Polynucleotide Complexes IV. Immunotherapeutic Applications References 6. Thymosins and Other Thymic Hormones I. Introduction II. Thymus Hormones III. Clinical Applications of the Thymosins IV. Conclusions References 7. Tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg): A Natural Activator of Phagocytic Cells with Antibacterial and Antineoplastic Activity I. Introduction II. How Tuftsin Came About III. Biochemistry of Tuftsin IV. Biological Activity of Tuftsin V. Tuftsin Receptors VI. Tuftsin Toxicity VII. Other Effects of Tuftsin VIII. Tuftsin Assay IX. Chemical Synthesis o f Tuftsin X. Tuftsin Deficiency Syndromes References 8. Tumor Necrosis Factor I. Introduction II. Historical Events III. Production and Characterization of TNF IV. TNF Assays V. Role of TNF in Macrophage-Mediated Tumor Cell Killing VI. Mechanisms of TNF Action VII. Other Effects of TNF VIII. Clinical Potential Addendum References 9. Colony-Stimulating Factor I. Introduction II. Detection and Activity o f CSF III. Regulation of CSF Production and Activity IV. Effect of CSF on Macrophage Effector Function V. Macrophage Effector Functions Enhanced by CSF References 10. Neuroendocrine Hormones and the Immune System I. Introduction II. Effect of Products of the Polyproteins Proopiomelanocortin and Proenkephalin on Immune Functions III. Effect of Arginine Vasopressin, Oxytocin, and Related Peptides on Interferon Production IV. Regulation of B-Cell Function by Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (Thyrotropin) V. Common Immune Functions and Some Neuropeptides and Lymphokines VI. Second-Messenger Signals for Lymphokines and Neuroendocrine Hormones VII. Summary References 11. Chalones and Other Endogenous Inhibitors of Cell Proliferation I. Regulation of Cell Proliferation as an Interaction of Stimulators and Inhibitors II. Properties of the Inhibitors III. Possible Applications of Endogenous Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment IV. Conclusions References 12. Lymphotoxins: A Multicomponent Family of Cell-Lytic and Growth-Inhibitory Proteins I. Introduction II. Cells and Cellular Processes Involved in Lymphotoxin Release in Vitro III. Biochemical Characterization of Lymphotoxins IV. Effects of Lymphotoxins on Cells in Vitro V. Synergy of Lymphotoxins with Interferons VI. Antitumor Effects of Lymphotoxins in Vivo VII. Conclusions References 13. Muramyl Peptides as Immunopharmacological Response Modifiers I. Introduction II. Modification of Specific Immunity by Muramyl Peptides III. Modification of Nonspecific Immunity by Muramyl Peptides IV. Modification of Macrophages or Other Cell Responses by Muramyl Peptides V. Modification of Temperature and Slow-Wave Sleep by Muramyl Peptides VI. Discussion References 14. Transfer Factor I. Introduction II. Biological Activities in Leukocyte Dialysates III. Assays for Transfer Factor IV. Properties of Transfer Factor V. Possible Mechanisms of Action VI. Summary and Conclusions References 15. Human Lymphocyte Proliferation: Requirements for Activation and Growth I. Introduction II. Immunoregulation of B Lymphocytes III. Immunoregulation of T Lymphocytes IV. Cell Lineage Specificity of Growth Factors V. Regulation of the Immune System by B Lymphocytes VI. Summary References Index