The immune system plays a key role in the bodys defence against foreign agents like viruses and tumour cells. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are involved in this defence. Alteration of the expression of MHC genes has profound effects on the outcome of certain diseases (such as cancers, viral infections and autoimmune diseases like diabetes). This book explores how altered MHC expression can be explained at the molecular level, and how normal MHC expression can be restored by gene therapy and immunotherapy.

1. General introduction to the MHC Lynda G. Tussey and Andrew J. McMichael; 2. Organisation of the MHC Jiannis Ragoussis; 3. Interactions of cytokines in the regulation of MHC class I and class II antigen expression Ian Todd; 4. Control of MHC class I gene expression Keiko Ozato; 5. Control of MHC class II gene expression Jenny Pan-Yun Ting and Barbara J. Vilen; 6. Modulation of MHC antigen expression by viruses D. John Maudsley; 7. Modulation of MHC antigen expression by retroviruses Douglas V. Faller; 8. Modulation of MHC class I antigen expression in adenovirus expression and transformation G. Eric Blair, Joanne L. Proffitt and Maria E. Blair Zajdel; 9. MHC expression in HPV-associated cervical cancer Jennifer Bartholomew, John M. Tinsley and Peter L. Stern; 10. Inhibition of the cellular response to interferon by hepatitus B virus polymerase Graham R. Foster; 11. Cellular adhesion molecules and MHC antigens in cells infected with Epstein/Barr virus: implications for immune recognition Martin Rowe and Maria G. Masucci; 12. Effect of human cytomegalovirus infection on the expression of MHC class I antigens and adhesion molecules: potential role in immune evasion and immunopathology Jane E. Grundy; 13. Oncogenes and MHC class I expression Lucy T. C. Peltenburg and Peter I. Schrier; 14. Mechanisms of tumour cell killing and the role of MHC antigens in experimental model systems Roger F. L. James; 15. Manipulation of MHC antigens by gene transfection and cytokine stimulation: a possible approach for pre-selection of suitable patients for cytokine therapy Ame Nouri; 16. Overexpression of MHC proteins in pancreatic islets: a link between cytokines, viruses, the breach of tolerance and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus? M. Vives-Pi, N. Somoza, F. Vargas and R. Pujol-Borrell; 17. The role of cytokines in contributing to MHC antigen expression in rheumatoid arthritis Fionula M. Brennan; 18. Expression of an MHC antigen in the central nervous system: an animal model for demyelinating diseases Lionel Feigenbaum, Taduru Sreenath and Gilbert Jay.