Polyteknisk Boghandel

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 an alternative 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 an interesting perspective on the classical bacterial virulence mechanisms, this book outlines the molecular techniques developed to unravel the complexity of bacteria-host interactions. Research may lead not only to a better understanding of disease mechanisms, but also to alternative means of preventing and/or treating bacterial infections.

Preface; Abbreviations used;
1. An introduction to bacterial diseases;
2. Bacterial cell biology;
3. Molecular analysis of bacterial virulence mechanisms;
4. Communication in infection;
5. The mucosal surface: the front line of antibacterial 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?;
Appendix A.
Glossary of terms used;
Appendix B. Brief descriptions of bacteria frequently mentioned;
Index.