Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Julio Villena, Susana Alvarez, and Haruki Kitazawa -- Modulation of mucosal immune system by probiotics : postulated mechanisms / Masanobu Nanno, Satoshi Matsumoto, and Kan Shida -- Difference in the signals induced by commensal or probiotic bacteria to the gut epithelial and immune cells / Carolina Maldonado Galdeano, Cecilia Ana Dogi, and Gabriela Perdigón -- Molecular immunoassay systems for probiotics via pattern recognition receptors / Masanori Tohno and Haruki Kitazawa -- Role of toll-like receptors in the modulation of intestinal inflammation by immunobiotics / Julio Villena and Haruki Kitazawa -- Immunobiotics for the prevention of bacterial and viral respiratory infections / Julio Villena, Susana Salva, and Susana Alvarez -- Immunobiotics and antiviral immunity / Kazutoyo Yoda, Kenji Miyazawa, Gaku Harata, and Fang He -- Immunobiotics and immunity against parasites / Martin A. Humen, Jalil Benyacoub, Jessica Minnaard, Dominique Brassart, Graciela De Antoni, Eduardo J. Schiffrin, and Pablo Pérez -- Immunobiotics and allergy / Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Toshitaka Odamaki, and Jin-zhong Xiao -- Immunobiotics and inflammation-coagulation / María Hortensia Zelaya and María Graciela Agüero -- Immunobiotics and hematopoiesis / Susana Salva, Julio Villena, and Susana Alvarez -- Probiotics and their potential use in wound treatment / Juan Carlos Valdez, Alberto Nicolás Ramos, Diego Fernández, Mirta Rachid, Eugenia Sesto Cabral, Pablo Valdecantos, Luis Olea, and Marcela Ortiz Mayor -- Immunogenics : immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides from probiotics / Takeshi Shimosato and Haruki Kitazawa -- Immunogenics : extracellular bacterial compounds as mediators of lactic acid bacteria-target cell interaction / Ana Virginia Rodriguez, Guillermo Juarez, Graciela Font de Valdez, and Julio Villena -- Immunogenics : extracellular polysaccharide reducing the risk of infection / Seiya Makino, Shuji Ikegami, Takayuki Nagai, and Haruki Yamada.

"Written by international experts, this book reviews recent, cutting-edge research on the use of immunoregulatory probiotics (immunobiotics) and their bioactive compounds (immunogenics) to prevent and improve health. Each chapter provides critical insight, reviews current research, discusses future perspective, and stimulates discussion. The book also dicsusses novel applications of immunobiotics such as their use in respiratory infections, regulation of the interaction between inflammation and coagulation as well as their effect on hematopoiesis"--