Bacterial Disease Mechanisms - An Introduction to Cellular Microbiology

Paperback  688 pp, 203 diags, 64 illus, 1 col plt, 131 tabs  ISBN 052179689X      £38.00

Antibiotic resistance and our consequent inability to treat many bacterial infections had fuelled an urgent need to understand the means by which bacteria cause disease. This has lead to a renaissance in research into bacterial disease mechanisms and the birth of a new discipline - Cellular Microbiology. The fruits of such research and how they have lead to a new perspective on bacteria-host interactions are described in this introductory textbook. The central premise is that bacteria have evolved means of manipulating normal host cell functions and overcoming host defence systems to ensure their survival. As well as offering a new perspective on the classical bacterial virulence mechanisms, this book outlines the new molecular techniques developed to unravel the complexity of bacteria-host interactions. Current research may lead not only to a better understanding of disease mechanisms, but also to new means of preventing and/or treating bacterial infections.

Contents

Preface; 1. An introduction to bacterial diseases; 2. Bacterial cell biology; 3. Molecular analysis of bacterial disease mechanisms; 4. Communication in infection; 5. The mucosal surface: the front line of anti-bacterial defence; 6. Immune defences against bacteria; 7. Bacterial adhesion as a virulence mechanism; 8. Bacterial invasion as a virulence mechanism; 9. Bacterial exotoxins; 10. Bacterial evasion of host defence mechanisms; 11. Bacteria in human health and disease: the future?; Glossary; Description of frequently-mentioned bacteria.