Main description:

The Antibody Molecule follows the extraordinary journey of the medics and scientists who shaped the course of medical advances in the field of immunology. One of the oldest of the medical sciences, immunology has a history that has seen chemists, physicists and biologists alike seeking to unravel the most complex system in the human body outside the brain. This book charts its intriguing history, from the genetic basis of antibody diversity, through the
understanding of the mechanism by which the immune system's first line of defence works, to breakthroughs in crystallography and the exploitation of immunoglobulins as therapeutic platforms to treat cancer, inflammation and allergy.

Tracing the developments in immunology in chronological order, Professor Anthony R. Rees presents the historical contexts of the periods in rich detail, bringing them to life with quotes and illustrations. This fascinating book examines the literature of the time, turning points, and controversies. A must read for immunologists and life scientists, as well as historians of science and medicine.

Contents:

1. Antibody pre-history: The emergence of empirical immunology ; 2. Pre-molecular immunology: The dawn of mechanism ; 3. Structural chemistry: Locks, keys and colloids ; 4. The foundations of antibody-antigen recognition emerge ; 5. The cellular reformation ; 6. The molecular path unfolds ; 7. Uncovering the origins of antibody diversity ; 8. Immunoglobulin constant regions ; 9. Effector functions of constant regions ; 10. Transmission and catabolism of IgG ; 11. The structural context of antibody diversity ; 12. Monoclonal antibodies and the mechanisms of hypermutation ; 13. Antibody structure prediction and development of humanization strategies ; 14. Antibody engineering: Improving on natural immunity ; 15. Therapeutic antibodies: Case study 1: Prevention of respiratory syncytial virus illness ; 16. Therapeutic antibodies: Case study 2: Targeting breast cancer ; 17. Antibodies: The therapeutic future