This book, the proceedings of Falk Symposium No. 125 on 'Cytokines in Liver Injury and Repair' (Progress in Gastroenterology and Hepatology Part II), held in Hannover, Germany, on September 30 - October 1, 2001, provides an update of our current knowledge on the role of cytokines in various human and experimental liver diseases and on their present and prospective use in therapeutic trials.

The book contains chapters by most well-known experts in the field who have contributed significantly to our present knowledge on cytokines in liver injury and repair.

Inhalt
Preface. Section I: Cytokine-Induced Cell Death. 1. Endogenous modulators of receptor-mediated hepatic cell death; H. Hentze, et al. 2. Modulation of CD 95 (APO-1/Fas) induced hepatocyte death by NO; PR. Galle, et al. 3. TGF-beta-induced liver cell apoptosis; R. Schulte-Hermann, et al. Section II: Regulation of Normal and Malignant Cell Growth by Cytokines. 4. Proliferative and apoptotic effects of tumour necrosis factor in the liver and cells in culture; N. Fausto, J. Campbell. 5. The role of insulin-like growth factor-II in hepatocarcinogenesis; P. Lund, et al. 6. Transforming growth factor-beta and cancer; M. Reiss. 7. Cytokines and hepatitis C virus replication; D. Moradpour, et al. Section III: Cytokine Signals in Fibrogenesis. 8. Role of DDR2 receptor in the activation of hepatic stellate cells; E. Olaso, et al. 9. PDGF signalling in activated stellate cells; M. Pinzani. 10. Escape of activated hepatic stellate cells from TGF-beta control; S. Dooley, et al. 11. Chemokines in the modulation of liver inflammation; F. Marra, et al. Section IV: Modulation of Fibrogenic Cytokine Response. 12. Identification of fibrogenic genes in a polygenic mouse model of liver fibrosis; F. Lammert, et al. 13. Cytokine transgenic models of fibrogenesis; S. Kanzler. 14. The fibrogenic mediators of TGF-beta and TNF-alpha as surviving factors for activated hepatic stellate cells; G. Ramadori, B. Saile. 15. Resolution of fibrosis by apoptosis of myofibroblasts; F. Murphy, J.P. Iredale. Section V: Cytokines in the Cause and Consequence of Cholestatis. 16. Regulation of hepatic organic anion transporters by cytokines; A. Geier, et al. 17. Reaction of cholangiocytes to inflammatory injury; C. Spirlì, et al. 18. Bid antisense oligodeoxynucleotides as therapy for cholestatic liver injury; H. Higuchi, G.J. Gores. Section VI: Polymorphisms of Cytokines and Signalling. 19. Regulation of interleukin-6-type cytokine signaling; P.C. Heinrich, et al. 20. IL6-dependent signal transduction and its relevance in animal models; K.L. Streetz, et al. 21. Predictive value of cytokine polymorphisms for liver disease; P.T. Donaldson, C.P. Day.** Section VII: Therapeutic Cytokines and Modulators.** 22. PPARγ and fibrogenesis; T. Miyahara, et al. 23. Cytokine modulation in the therapy of hepatic immunopathology and fibrosis; S.M. Wahl, et al. 24. Matrix binding motifs and peptide mimetics as modulators of wound healing and fibrogenesis; D. Schuppan, et al. 25. Endothelin and liver injury &endash; therapeutic antagonism of the endothelin system; D.C. Rockey. 26. Transforming growth factor β in the treatment of autoimmune disease; A.W. Lohse. Section VIII: Cytokine-Assisted Gene Therapies. 27. The feasibility of antifibrotic gene therapy; T.J. Davern, D.M. Bissell. 28. Experimental approaches to antifibrotic strategies using gene transfer; R. Weiskirchen, et al. **29. Cytokine-assisted gene therapy: Anti-TGF-β intervention using mutated forms of TGF-β receptor; H. Ueno, et al. 30. Cytokine-based gene therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); C. Qian, et al. Index.