This fully updated volume utilizes the expertise of scientists currently engaged in immunotoxicity testing to provide the reader with lab-ready procedures and the background information needed to identify effective testing approaches. Dedicated to identifying and describing exogenous agents that can modify immune function, uncovering modes and mechanisms of action for such agents, and translating data from the laboratory and from the clinic to better predict health risks as well as benefits to those who are exposed to immunomodulatory agents, immunotoxicity testing continues to be a vital field of study, and this collection highlights both the ¿tried and true¿ methods as well as alternative protocols that have been more recently developed. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, andtips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Includes cutting-edge techniques for the study of immunotoxicity testing

Immunotoxicology: A Brief History.- Clinical Immunotoxicology.- Investigative Immunotoxicology.- Developmental Immunotoxicity (DIT) Testing: Current Recommendations and the Future of DIT Testing.- Markers of Inflammation.- The Sheep Erythrocyte T-Dependent Antibody Response (TDAR).- Methylated-Bovine Serum Albumin (mBSA)-Induced Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity in Mice.- Use of the LLNA:BrdU-ELISA for Skin Sensitization Hazard Assessment.- Host Resistance Assays.- Enhanced Histopathology Evaluation of Lymphoid Organs.- Tumor Challenges in Immunotoxicity Testing.- Flow Cytometry for the Immunotoxicologist.- Evaluation of Cell-Mediated Immune Function Using the Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Assay.- Evaluation of Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Immunotoxicity Testing.- Natural Killer (NK) Cell Assays in Immunotoxicity Testing.- Dendritic Cell Assays.- Evaluating Macrophages in Immunotoxicity Testing.- Evaluating Cytokines in Immunotoxicity Testing.- Functional Assays of Hematopoietic Stem Cellsin Toxicology Research.- CD4+ T Cell Differentiation and Activation.- Isolation and Identification of Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILCs) for Immunotoxicity Testing.- Evaluating Antigen-Specific IgE Using the Rat Basophil Leukemia Cell (RBL) Assay.- Challenges for Integrating Immunotoxicology into the 21st Century Toxicology Testing Paradigm.