The Role of Microbes in Common Non-Infectious Diseases PDF
Preview The Role of Microbes in Common Non-Infectious Diseases
Emerging Infectious Diseases of the 21st Century I.W. Fong The Role of Microbes in Common Non- Infectious Diseases Emerging Infectious Diseases of the 21st Century Series Editor: I.W. Fong Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto Division of Infectious Diseases, St. Michael’s Hospital More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/5903 I.W. Fong The Role of Microbes in Common Non-Infectious Diseases I.W. Fong University of Toronto Toronto , ON , Canada ISBN 978-1-4939-1669-6 ISBN 978-1-4939-1670-2 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-1670-2 Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London Library of Congress Control Number: 2014945548 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifi cally for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Permissions for use may be obtained through RightsLink at the Copyright Clearance Center. Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law. T he use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) This book is dedicated to my very supportive wife—Cheryl. Pref ace Our understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of new and venerable diseases has progressed tremendously in the past 30 years, due to improved technology and advances in genomics and molecular science. However, there are several common diseases where the exact causation still eludes investigators, but intensive research over the past decade has provided clues to implicate a microbial role in pathogenesis and causation. These medical conditions include common nonlife threatening illnesses that affect the daily function and quality of life, such as irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. But also microbial pathogenesis has been postulated for more serious disorders such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes mellitus, Crohn’s dis- ease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis; to potentially fatal and catastrophic condi- tions such as Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancer, and atherosclerosis that leads to heart attacks and strokes. A brief outline of these clinical conditions and others will be provided, with in- depth review of current understanding of the mechanisms and pathogenesis. The links to microbial pathogenesis will be reviewed from ongoing research, with explo- ration of theoretical microbial causes and potential for future clinical research and development of novel therapies. T his new volume in the series “Emerging Infectious Diseases of the 21st Century” should provide fodder for investigators and clinicians faced with these conditions, but more importantly to stimulate interest of new investigators and trainees to take a new and novel approach for investigating the mechanisms and causation of these baffl ing common disorders. Toronto, ON, Canada I.W. Fong vii Acknowledgements I am greatly indebted to Carolyn Ziegler for continued invaluable literature searches and to Debbie Reid-Marsden for her administration assistance. ix
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