Animal Models of Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases

Progress in understanding skin diseases has been aided enormously by the use of tissues derived from animals, by studying normal processes in animals, and by the development of animal models. The cellular activities in animals and humans are remarkably similar and the actual pathological process of an inflammatory skin disease can only be accurately observed and analyzed in a living animal model, and not in any in vitro model system. These factors have led to the regular use of animal tissues and models to allow the disease processes to be studied at a much greater depth. Animal Models of Human Inflammatory Skin Diseases features the principles and practices of how to go about studying inflammatory skin diseases using live animal models. On the principle side, the book describes the comparative structure and function of the skin, and the comparative immunology system in animal species commonly used as models. From the practical perspective, it presents a general discussion on methods of experimental animal modeling and contains specific expert experience on individual models. The authors include a detailed method of disease induction for each model, present chapters on comparative histology and immunology, and discuss potential targets of disease intervention. Written by biomedical investigators with first-hand experience in their chosen fields, this book is a valuable guide and reference for investigators in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. It provides an instantaneous comparison between the skin structure and immunology of humans and animals, aiding in the interpretation and application of pathologic and immunologic findings.