Eosinophil overview: structure, biological properties, and key functions

Abstract

The eosinophil is an enigmatic cell with a continuing ability to fascinate. A considerable history of research endeavor on eosinophil biology stretches from the present time back to the nineteenth century. Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the eosinophil is how accumulating knowledge has changed the perception of its function from passive bystander, modulator of inflammation, to potent effector cell loaded with histotoxic substances through to more recent recognition that it can act as both a positive and negative regulator of complex events in both innate and adaptive immunity. This book consists of 26 chapters written by experts in the field of eosinophil biology that provide comprehensive and clearly written protocols for techniques designed to underpin research into the function of the eosinophil in health and disease.