A commotion in the blood
Subtitle: life, death, and the immune system
By: Stephen S. Hall.
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: The Sloan technology series
Publisher: Henry Holt
Published: 1997
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 544
Subjects: Immunotherapy -- Popular works; Immune system -- Popular works
Other titles: Blood
Description: Beginning with the "occasional miracles" of a mysterious turn-of-the-century cancer vaccine called Coley's toxins, Stephen S. Hall traces the story of how doctors have learned to use the immune system and its "commotions," as one physician put it, to develop a wide array of cutting-edge therapies.

Traveling between laboratory and bedside, Hall's absorbing narrative navigates the politics of discovery and explains the dazzling complexities of human blood, tracking the potent molecules and powerful cells at the heart of the immune response. As Hall proceeds across continents and time, he discusses interferon, tumor necrosis factors, and the newest and most promising substances to trigger a "commotion," such as interleukin-2.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 459-515) and index.