Biological and Molecular Aspects of Mast Cell and Basophil Differentiation and Function

International experts in mast cell biology and function have contributed to this outstanding volume that provides a critical appraisal of the state of the art of this burgeoning specialty of biomedicine. The first section focuses on cytokines involved in mast cell and basophil development and function, and includes chapters that explore the role of stem cell factor as well as the synergy of stem cell factor and other cytokines in mast cell development; and cytokine regulation of mast cell development and function. Other chapters address signal transduction of IL-3, GM-CSF, and IL-4 receptors in hemopoietic cells, and basophils as a target and source of cytokines. The developmental processes of mast cells and basophils are discussed in chapters in the next section, which covers such topics as mast cell-committed progenitors and keratinocyte-derived modulators of mast cell growth. Section three of the book looks at the phenotypic diversity of mast cells and discusses mouse mast cell proteases as markers of mast cell differentiation, structure and function of human mast cell proteases, and molecules involved in adhesion of mast cells and fibroblasts. The physiological roles of mast cells and basophils are examined in the final section. Chapters cover such topics as immune-mast cell interactions with nerves, pharmacologic inhibition of human mast cell and basophil secretion, and the role of mast cells in parasite immunity.