Book excerpt: Discussing the systemic immune response in the contexts of health, disease, and therapy, this unique resource-the only broadly based book of its kind available on the subject-offers comprehensive examinations of the pathways and agents that affect the human immune response and provides state-of-the-art presentations on practical methods of immune modulation. Focuses on the immune response and modulation in infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis, and parasitic infections and highlights immune modulating agents in gastrointestinal diseases, sepsis, cancer, and autoimmunity! Written by over 50 international authorities representing distinguished institutions in nine countries, Immune Modulating Agents introduces basic immunoregulatory mechanisms as homeostasis details cytokines, cellular and humoral immune responses, and hematopoiesis describes neuroendocrine - immune system interactions and the role of psychological stress on immune competence delineates factors that influence disease susceptibility, including nutrition covers drug delivery systems, gene therapy, organ transplantation, arthritis treatment, and vaccination strategies shows how to design clinical trials using immune modulating agents and more!