The book is designed for students new to the field of immunology and to serve, also, as a reference for those already practicing. The text therefore begins with basic concepts in immunology and then covers current clinical applications in the field of pharmacy.The book is divided into eleven chapters. Chapters one through four present a cursory coverage of the complex topics of basic Immunology. Chapter five, with its topic of Inflammatory Diseases and Autoimmunity, begins the transition from basic Immunology to applied Immunology. Chapters six through eleven discuss topics seen in clinical practice, where the application of Immunodiagnosis and Immunotherapy is becoming more of an every day experience for pharmacists, even those who do not consider themselves to be in a "clinical" setting. These chapters include the immunological background and current treatment practices for infectious diseases, two chapters focused specifically on HIV/AIDS, transplantation, and cancer. The information should be of interest to all health-care professionals, especially those whose practice settings include patients in these categories.For instructors, learning objectives and self-assessment questions are included to enhance the learning experience of their students.

Author Biography

Blaine Templar Smith, R.Ph., Ph.D. earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Oklahoma (Norman) in 1987, a B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1989, and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with emphases in Nuclear Pharmacy and Immunology in 1995.He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the University of Oklahoma Genome Sequencing Center, contributing to the Human Genome Project.Dr. Smith was a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy from 1998-2000, then at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences-Worcester from 2000-2006.Currently, he is the Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy.Dr. Smith s research interests include active and passive immunization and the use of antibodies, radiolabeled antibodies, proteins and bacteriophage, and the applications of the Human genome knowledge in medicine."