The immune system is complex, multi-layered and has evolved throughout the development of invertebrate and vertebrate species to be able to sense the difference between "self" and foreign pathogens. A functioning immune system provides protection against bacterial, viral and parasitic infections; on the other hand, dysregulation of the immune system can result in a wide range of clinically important diseases including autoimmunity, allergies and inflammatory disorders. Understanding of the immune system has led to the development of a broad range of therapeutic interventions of fundamental importance to improve human health.

Encyclopedia of Immunobiology, Second Edition, Five Volume Set covers the full range of Immunology, presenting topics in a logical, ordered way, and making extensive use of "hot links" to refer the reader to related content. The new edition is more than a simple updating of content from the original title. Fields such as immunotherapy, immunity to viral infection, vaccine development, inflammatory responses and the role of high throughput analyses are greatly expanded to reflect current and future trends in Immunology. This new edition plays a major role in bringing these concepts to the fore in a logical and coherent way, with the goal of integrating this information into the big picture.

• Encyclopedia of Immunobiology is a unique resource, providing an all-round depiction of the field. Topics space from basic concepts to applications and cover all kingdoms of life, form prokaryotes to plants, animals and humans
• All chapters are written by renowned academics and practitioners, coming from different research areas; the work is structured to guide the reader, highlighting connections across the field
• All chapters follow a common structure, which makes it easier for users to cross-compare and navigate the content
• The previous edition was well received and recognized with a prestigious Prose award
• Fully up to date, the new edition is expanded to include new topical areas such as immunotherapy and vaccine development