The vertebrate immune system defends the organism against invading pathogens while at the same time being self-tolerant to the body's own constituentsthuspreservingitsintegrity. Multiplemechanismsactinconcert to ensure self-tolerance. During intrathymic development, the nascent T cell repertoire is purged from autoreactive T cells via negative selection, a process also known as recessive tolerance. Ridding of self-reactivity, however, isnotcomplete, asattestedbythepresenceofself-reactiveTcells intheperipheralTcellrepertoire. Hence, additionaltolerancemechanisms, collectively referred to as...

Human coronaviruses caused the SARS epidemic that infected more than 8000 people, killing about ten percent of them in 32 countries. This book provides essential information on these viruses and the development of vaccines to control coronavirus infections.

Cells of the immune system are activated by a variety of stimuli that are derived from other cells, ingested material or from invading microorganisms. This issue of CTMI focuses on the mechanisms of phosphoinositide-mediated protein recruitment to intracellular membranes.

After three volumes on adenoviruses in 1995 the past years have seen rapid progress in the field of adenovirus research. Moreover, adenoviruses have attracted considerable interest as vectors in gene transfer regimens. After the first volume on virion and structure, viral replication and host-cell interaction this second volume deals with the immune system, oncogenesis and gene therapy.