Much anecdotal information has suggested an influence of psychology and the nervous system on immunity within the skin and the expression of inflammatory skin disorders. Recent years have seen an explosion of knowledge providing a scientific basis for important regulatory interactions between the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system within the skin. The results of recent investigations have important implications, not only for an understanding of cutaneous immunity, but also for the development of novel treatments for diseases involving abnormal inflammation or immune reactivity within the skin. This book provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary review of the molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry and clinical aspects of nervous system-immune system interactions within the skin. It includes contributions from leading world experts in these areas. The contents are relevant to both investigators and clinicians interested in the skin, its functions and its disorders.

Basic Neuroimmunology of the Skin

Neuroanatomy of the Skin
Neuroreceptors and Mediators
Autonomic Effects on the Skin
Immune Circuits of the Skin
Modulation of Immune Cells by Products of Nerves
Regulation of Immune Cells by POMC Peptides
Regulation of Cutaneous Immunity by Catecholamines
The Role of Neuropeptide Endopeptidases in Cutaneous Immunity
Neuroinflammation and Toll-Like Receptors in the Skin
Stress and Cutaneous Immunity
Neuroendocrine Regulation of Skin Immune Response
Effects of Psychological Stress on Skin Immune Function: Implications for Immunoprotection Versus Immunopathology
Photoneuroimmunology: Modulation of the Neuroimmune System by UV Radiation
Neurobiology of Skin Appendages
Neurobiology of Hair
Neurobiology of Sebaceous Glands
Neurobiology of Skin Appendages: Eccrine, Apocrine, and Apoeccrine Sweat Glands
The Nervous System and the Pathophysiology of Skin Disorders
Neurophysiology of Itch
Neuroimmunologic Cascades in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
Neuroimmunology of Atopic Dermatitis
Stress and Urticaria
Acne Vulgaris and Rosacea
Wound Healing and Stress.