The Immunology of Cardiovascular Homeostasis and Pathology (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology Book 1003)

"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"--Publisher's description Front Matter....Pages i-xii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Role of the Immune System Beyond the Fight Against Infection....Pages 3-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 Paying for the Tolls: The High Cost of the Innate Immune System for the Cardiac Myocyte....Pages 17-34 Properties and Immune Function of Cardiac Fibroblasts....Pages 35-70 Endothelial Cells....Pages 71-91 Immune Functions and Properties of Resident Cells in the Heart and Cardiovascular System: Pericytes....Pages 93-103 The Role of Cardiac Tissue Macrophages in Homeostasis and Disease....Pages 105-118 Front Matter....Pages 119-119 Atherosclerosis....Pages 121-144 Immune-Mediated Heart Disease....Pages 145-171 Vasculitis in the Central Nervous System....Pages 173-185 Cardiac Autoimmunity: Myocarditis....Pages 187-221 Front Matter....Pages 223-223 Lymphocytes at the Heart of Wound Healing....Pages 225-250 The Innate Immune Response in Myocardial Infarction, Repair, and Regeneration....Pages 251-272 Back Matter....Pages 273-283