DecodingtheGenomicControlofImmuneReactions:NovartisFoundationSymposium

Thisbookexploresexistingandpotentialstrategiesforusingthegenomesequencesofhuman,mouse,othervertebratesandhumanpathogenstosolvekeyproblemsinthetreatmentofimmunologicaldiseasesandchronicinfections.Theassembledgenomesequencesnowprovideimportantopportunitiesforsolvingtheseproblems,butamajorbottleneckistheidentificationofkeysequencesandcircuitscontrollingtherelevantimmunereactions.Thiswillrequireinnovative,interdisciplinaryandcollaborativestrategiesofascaleandcomplexityweareonlynowbeginningtocomprehend.Specificproblemsaddressedincludethefollowing:Whatkindsofinformationarewelackingtounderstandhowthegenomesequencespecifiesthedifferentiationandresponseofimmunesystemcells,andsystembehavioursuchasimmunologicalmemoryandtolerance?Whichgenomesequencesandcellularcircuitscauseorpreventpathologicalimmuneresponsestoforeignpathogens,allergensorself-tissues?Whichhostandpathogengenomesequencesandcellularcircuitsexplainthefailureofsterilizingimmuneresponsestosophisticatedhumanpathogenssuchastheagentsoftuberculosis,malaria,metazoanparasitesandchronicviruses?Containingcontributionsfromarangeofleadingexpertsinthefield,thisbookprovidesanimportantnewperspectiveforclinicalimmunologistsandbasicresearchersalike.