Book excerpt: Recent work has implicated inflammatory processes in the pathophysiology of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis. In this book leading experts in the field discuss molecular, in vivo and clinical aspects of neuroinflammation. It is hoped, with the wealth of research being conductied in this area, that novel therapeutic targets will be identified which will allow successful therapeutic intervention in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.