Immunological Studies of Brain Cells and Functions

There is already a vast literature and a growing body of research on the immunology of the brain. Since no book can pretend to be comprehensive, the editors have chosen to include reviews on topics which represent "models" of brain research involving immunology. Two basic lines of investigation have been employed in recent years to explore the anatomical and physiopathological complexities of the brain. Conventional immune sera and monoclonal antibodies have provided the means to identify and characterize the properties of unique types of morphologically identical sets of brain cells; and secondly, the role that autoimmune responses play in the pathogenesis of diseases of the nervous system has been investigated with more vigour and success than in the past. The contributors to this monograph have done research along both these lines, and reviewed much of the recent literature on the subjects.