Cytokines and Autoimmune Diseases

This book synthesizes the information on the role of cytokines in autoimmunity. It develops a clear understanding of the cytokins and chemokines involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease and discusses the role of various cytokine antagonists in the inhibition of autoimmunity. Cytokines are soluble molecules produced by immune cells by which the immune system communicates with other cell types within or outside the immune system. By virtue of this function, cytokines serve to enhance or inhibit the functions of other cell types. It is increasingly clear that cytokines play a central role in the induction and regulation of autoimmune disease. Section I ( Cytokines: Induction, transcription and differentiation) deals with the basic mechanisms of induction and regulation of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, especially the effect of strength of TcR and costimulatory signals in the induction of various cytokines. Section II (Cytokines: role in specific autoimmune disease) will deal with the role of Cytokines in specific autoimmune diseases like EAE/MS; Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Myasthenia gravis. Section III (Cytokines: induction and regulation of autoimmunity) synthesizes the information based upon the first two sections and thus provides a consensus on the role of cytokines in the induction and regulation of autoimmunity.