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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TO THE EIGHTH EDITION

The 8th edition of Immunology: A Short Course preserves our commitment to the motto less is more. Since the publication of the 7th edition, our knowledge of how the immune system develops and functions and ways in which these physiological phenomena can fail or be compromised and thereby cause disease has significantly expanded. To reflect this new knowledge, many important updates and changes in chapters (including new ones) appear in this edition. The 8th edition includes new chapters on cells and organs of the immune system (Chapter 2), organization and expression of lymphocyte antigen receptor genes (Chapter 8), and experimental systems and methods (Chapter 20). The subjects of B‐ and T‐cell development activation are covered in two new chapters, each dealing with these respective lymphocyte populations. Every other chapter and appendix section that appeared in the 7th edition has been significantly updated and, in particular, the chapter on tumor immunology (18) has been completely rewritten by one of the contributing authors (SG).

Recent advances in immunology have led to a better understanding of the human immune system and the mechanisms of infectious and immune‐mediated diseases. The immune system is essential for survival in the face of pathogens. In some cases, however, immune responses to pathogens can result in exaggerated, harmful outcomes (e.g., cytokine storms that induce perinflammatory responses). The COVID‐19 pandemic caused by a coronavirus named SARS‐Cov‐2 is one example of this phenomenon believed to be associated with potentially fatal cytokine storms in a minority of infected people. Moreover, in addition to a host of immunodeficiency diseases (e.g., severe combined immune deficiency), a long list of immune‐mediated diseases has been identified. These include asthma, allergic diseases, contact dermatitis, autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. Finally, acute and chronic inflammatory disorders such as Crohn’s disease and rejection of transplanted organs, tissues, and cells are all defined as immune‐mediated disease and conditions. Success in treating or preventing these diseases and conditions depends on fundamental scientific research, including how the immune system and pathogens interact, how the immune system develops and is regulated, and the pathological mechanisms by which the immune system causes damage when it fails to carry out its physiological functions.

Other advances since the 7th edition include an explosion of new immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. For many years, cancer treatment was principally pharmacological in nature. Now, there are many therapeutic antibodies in addition to cellular engineering approaches for immune‐based treatment of cancer. The 8th edition highlights some of these important therapeutic successes with the goal of inspiring the reader to consider how research in the field of immunology has generated clinical and translational fruits to improve health through the prevention of infectious diseases using vaccines and a variety of immune‐based biological magic bullets, a term first coined by Paul Ehrlich more than 100 years ago, to treat diseases.

The 8th edition of Immunology: A Short Course is intended to provide the reader with a clear and concise overview of our current understanding of the physiology of the immune system as well as the pathophysiology associated with various immune‐mediated diseases. It is noteworthy that since the publication of the 6th edition, an important companion book has been available, namely, Clinical Cases in Immunology by Drs. Susan Gottesman (SUNY‐Downstate Health Sciences University, College of Medicine) and Warren Strober (NIAID/NIH). We are confident that the synergy created by this pair of books will be a true asset to students of medicine, and other health professions.

I am very grateful to Drs Philip Cohen (Temple University School of Medicine), who updated Chapter 12 on the subject of tolerance and autoimmunity, and Susan Gottesman (SUNY‐Downstate Health Sciences University, College of Medicine) who, as noted above, contributed a newly written chapter on tumor immunology and updated Chapter 16 entitled Immunodeficiency Disorders and Neoplasias of the Lymphoid System.

I would like acknowledge the loving, enduring support of my wife, Lisa, during the writing of this book. Her encouragement and inspiration are second to none, with two possible exceptions, our children, Jonathan and Jennifer. Jonathan, a talented writer himself, and Jennifer, an emerging public health advocate, are both blessed with patience and bright inquisitive minds—the ideal mix of attributes for children and students alike. Finally, once again, I would like to posthumously thank my mentor, Dr G. Jeanette Thorbecke, who greatly influenced my commitment to and passion for the field of immunology.

A special thanks to Dr Geoffrey Sunshine who co‐authored several previous editions of this book. His significant contribution to chapters from these editions and his critical input into chapters for which I was responsible were sorely missed during the preparation of this edition.

Finally, I wish to express my appreciation to the staff members of John Wiley and Sons, Inc., who helped to publish the 8th edition, especially James Watson, Holly Regan‐Jones, Baskar Anandraj, and Jennifer Seward. Special thanks to my co‐workers at SUNY‐Downstate Health Sciences University, College of Medicine, including secretaries, office assistants, and other staff members, who helped with the preparation of the manuscript.

Richard Coico

Fall 2020