Francesco Blasi – författare

Proteolysis is essential for life. From the breakdown of proteins in food for biosynthesis, through to antigen processing in the immune system, the blood cl- ting cascade, and the hormone-regulated remodelling of female reproductive tissues in adult mammals - proteolysis governs functionality, homeostasis, and fate at the levels of the cell and the entire organism. For the cancer cell, intracellular prote- ysis carried out by caspases and the proteasome must be enlisted and controlled to allow it to escape apoptosis. Functioning on the cancer cell surface or in the extracellular milieu, secreted proteases (primarily metalloproteinases, serine p- teases, and cathepsins) determine the interactions of cells with their environments. Once considered simply as promoting tumour cell invasion through tissue barriers, proteolysis is now known to be integral to many aspects of cancer biology, including angiogenesis, regulation of the bioavailability of growth factors, cellular adhesion, cytokine/chemokine signalling, in?ammatory cell recruitment, and the mobilization of normal cells from their tissue compartments to act as accomplices in metastasis.The last decade has witnessed a revolution in our thinking concerning the role of extracellular proteolysis in cancer biology: this is the primary focus of this book.

This text investigates the importance and the relevance in both respiratory and extrapulmonary disease of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection. Antibody prevalence rates in Western countries reach 50% in the adult population and remain high in old age suggesting a high rate of reinfection. Chlamydia pneumoniae can cause upper respiratory tract infections, like pharyngitis and sinusitis as well as bronchitis and more than 10% of community-acquired pneumonia. Recent data suggest a possible association of Chlamydia pneumonia infection with wheezing and adult-onset asthma. The text also assesses the possible link between Chylamydia pneumoniae infection and atherosclerosis.