1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910137534203321

Autore

Alexandre Barbosa Reis

Titolo

Control of visceral leishmaniasis by immunotherapeutic and prophylactic strategies [[electronic resource] /] / edited by Nahid Ali, Hira L. Nakhasi, Jesus G. Valenzuela and Alexandre Barbosa Reis

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Frontiers Media SA, 2015

France : , : Frontiers Media SA, , 2015

ISBN

9782889195527 (ebook)

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (144 pages) : illustrations, charts

Collana

Frontiers Research Topics

Soggetti

Alternative Medicine

Medicine

Health & Biological Sciences

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Sommario/riassunto

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is the most dreadful of all forms of leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani in Old World and Leishmania chagasi and/or Leishmania infantum in New World affecting millions of people worldwide. In active VL, macrophages host the replicating amastigotes in phagolysosomal compartments leading to splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, hyperglobulinemia, anemia, weight-loss, incessant fever and ultimately death if not treated. Treatments available against the disease are limited by increased incidence of resistance, serious side-effects, high cost and long course of treatment. Immuno-chemotherapy is an alternative to overcome the limitations of the drugs against VL. Combination of one or more of immunotherapeutic agents like BCG, Alum, IFN-?, antigen-pulsed dendritic cells (DC), etc. with chemotherapeutic drugs have been tested raising hopes for a suitable immuno-chemotherapy against VL and Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL). Antagonists of IL-10, TGF-ß, IL-13 have been effectively used with pentavalent antimonials in treatment of experimental VL. Some parasitic antigens and liposomal formulations have also been shown to impart superior therapeutic



effectiveness to antileishmanial drugs. For socio-economic reasons prophylaxis is always more desirable than therapy. Although no vaccine against any form of leishmaniasis in humans is available, patients successfully treated show considerable protection from reinfection highlighting the possibility of developing prophylactic measures against the disease. Subsequently a lot of interest has been focused recently towards developing vaccines against VL and many potential vaccine candidates like whole cell (attenuated or heat killed), crude fractions, purified subunits, DNAs, recombinant proteins, fusion proteins, and genetically modified live attenuated parasites etc. have been reported. These vaccine candidates are either activators of CD4+Th1 cells and/or CD8+ T cells or neutralizers of immuno-suppression. Cationic liposomal formulations, nanoparticle and virosome delivery systems, etc. have been used to increase potency and durability of various vaccine candidates. Immuno-modulators like TLR agonists have been shown to be promising adjuvants in enhancing efficacy and overcoming the challenge of human administrable vaccine formulations. Recently role of sand fly salivary gland proteins as immune-modulators also has been explored. Various strategies such as heterologous prime boosting, targeted antigen delivery, adjuvant mediated protection, have been undertaken. Likewise, precise role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in VL disease progression needs to be investigated and exploited to develop both immuno-therapeutic and prophylactic methods. A breakthrough in immunotherapy and prophylactic strategy would help in eradication of the parasites from the pool of natural reservoirs namely VL and PKDL patients, asymptomatic carrier individuals and infected dogs ensuring success of global VL control programs.



2.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910254677503321

Autore

McNally Kieran

Titolo

A Critical History of Schizophrenia / / by Kieran McNally

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London : , : Palgrave Macmillan UK : , : Imprint : Palgrave Macmillan, , 2016

ISBN

9781137456816

1137456817

Edizione

[1st ed. 2016.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (IX, 269 p.)

Collana

Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology, , 2946-2460

Classificazione

PSY007000PSY015000PSY018000PSY022050

Disciplina

616.89/8

Soggetti

Psychology

Social sciences - History

Clinical psychology

Critical psychology

Science - History

Psychology, Pathological

Psychiatry

History of Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Critical Psychology

History of Science

Psychopathology

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Sommario/riassunto

Schizophrenia was psychiatry's arch concept of madness in the twentieth century. However, it was a concept that was both surprisingly problematic and contentious. This book explores schizophrenia's instability, as the concept changed across the 20th century. It moves beyond sensational accounts of kids on LSD and split personalities, to detail schizophrenia's historically problematic definition, diagnosis, and symptom profile. In doing so, Kieran McNally documents the social uses of the concept, its regional variations, and its fluctuating subtypes. And finally, the book explains how, and why, North American



psychiatry sought to improve the concept in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), by introducing group sanctioned operational definitions. This book reveals a tradition of critical unease towards the concept of schizophrenia and it reveals that criticism of the concept was consistently voiced by many leading schizophrenia researchers - andnot just by 'anti-psychiatrists'. It becomes clear that at no stage in its history was schizophrenia thought to be beyond improvement.