The Immunology of Cardiovascular Homeostasis and Pathology

Cardiovascular immunology is a newly emerging research area, investigating the crosstalk between the cardiovascular and the immune system. This crosstalk is evident through (1) crucial immunological capacities and functions of cardiovascular cell types, including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, pericytes and cardiac resident macrophages, (2) the impact of aberrant immune function on the development of cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis, direct and indirect immune-mediated heart disease and vasculitis, and (3) the crucial role of the immune system in cardiac repair and regeneration.

The Immunology of Cardiovascular Homeostasis and Pathology covers all these aspects of cardiovascular immunology, starting with homeostatic immunological functions of traditional cardiovascular cell types, and moving then to the role of the immune system in cardiovascular pathology and to recent research into targeting the immune system to boost cardiac healing and regeneration.

Each chapter provides the fundamentals and new developments, to focus the book towards both the novice and the expert Offers thorough insight into the rapidly emerging and growing field of cardiovascular immunology Contributors comprise a good mix of immunologists and vascular biologists

Autorentext
Susanne Sattler, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London
Teresa Kennedy-Lydon, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London

Inhalt
Preface.- Introduction.- Section 1: The Immune system in tissue and organ homeostasis.- Chapter 1: The Immune system beyond the fight against infection.- Section 2: Immune functions and properties of resident cells in the heart and cardiovascular system.- Chapter 2: Cardiomyocytes: Paying for the Tolls - The High Cost of the Innate Immune System for the Cardiac Myocyte.- Chapter 3: Fibroblasts: Properties and immune function of cardiac fibroblasts.- Chapter 4: Endothelial cells.- Chapter 5: Pericytes.- Chapter 6: Tissue-resident macrophages: The role of cardiac tissue macrophages in homeostasis and disease.- Section 3: The immune system in cardiovascular pathology.- Chapter 7: Atherosclerosis.- Chapter 8: Immune mediated heart disease.- Chapter 9: Vasculitis in the central nervous system.- Chapter 10: Cardiac Autoimmunity: Myocarditis.- Section 4: The immune system in repair and regeneration after myocardial infarct.- Chapter 11: Lymphocytes at the heart of wound healing.- Chapter 12:The innate immune system in cardiovascular repair and regeneration.