The acute inflammatory response is the body s first system of alarm signals that are directed toward containment and elimination of microbial invaders. Uncontrolled inflammation has emerged as a pathophysiologic basis for many widely occurring diseases in the general population that were not initially known to be linked to the inflammatory response, including cardiovascular disease, asthma, arthritis, and cancer. To better manage treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of these wide-ranging diseases, multidisciplinary research efforts are underway in both academic and industry settings. The...

The study of inflammation has captured the interest of scholars since the earliest recorded history. Symbols identifying the cardinal signs of inflammation were uncovered in both Sanskrit and hieroglyphics (1). Since complete apprecia tion of the inflammatory process is underscored by the need for knowledge at both the cellular and molecular levels, academic inquiry in the area of inflammation has led, in many respects, the foray of current biomedical research. Molecular and Cellular Basis of Inflammation represents research from the cutting edge in the broad view of inflammation. The...