Amman — The immune system is the human body’s primary defense shield, but disorders affecting it have become among the most prominent health challenges of our time. In this context, Dr. Issa Ayoub Abu Dayyeh has published Diseases of Our Time in Immunology: Selected Immune Diseases, Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, as an Arabic-language scientific reference addressing the causes of immune disorders, treatment options and prevention.
اضافة اعلان
The book takes readers on a structured scientific journey that begins with an understanding of the nature of immune diseases, their impact on individuals and society, and their symptoms. It then moves to methods of identifying suspected cases and diagnosis, including laboratory testing, before examining currently used treatment methods, while emphasizing the importance of prevention and early diagnosis in reducing complications.
The book combines specialized scientific content with a simplified presentation, addressing members of the general public interested in immune diseases, as well as students of medical and health sciences, researchers and professionals in the field. It places particular emphasis on the laboratory tests and techniques used to diagnose these diseases, drawing on the author’s academic and professional experience in immunology.
Abu Dayyeh reviews the development of immunology and its medical applications, from early observations and experiments related to resistance to disease to modern advances in vaccines and immunotherapies. He also highlights future prospects offered by genetic testing and techniques for controlling immune responses in treating complex diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
In the book’s introduction, the author said the idea stemmed from the need for an Arabic medical reference specializing in immunology and addressing some of the most common immune diseases encountered in everyday life and hospitals.
The book provides a comprehensive overview of diseases affecting different body systems as a result of immune-system disorders, drawing on updated scientific information amid the rapid advances immunology has witnessed over the past decade.
Abu Dayyeh said: “The topics in the book have been arranged systematically, beginning with diseases caused by immunodeficiency, whether hereditary or acquired, and then moving to diseases associated with an overactive immune system, including allergies and autoimmune diseases.” He noted that the book concludes by examining the role of the immune system in protecting the body against cancer and the importance of immunotherapy in treating the disease.
The book focuses on immune diseases with clinical applications, given the
importance of the practical aspect in Jordan and the Arab world compared with academic and research areas, whose direct applications in hospitals, health centers and clinics remain limited.
Abu Dayyeh pointed out that scientific research in this field continues to face challenges related to limited financial and human resources, as well as weak cooperation among researchers and institutions locally and internationally.
In general, the articles in the book follow a similar methodology, beginning with a definition of each disease, its nature and its impact on individuals and society. They then address its symptoms and ways of suspecting its presence, before moving on to diagnostic methods, with particular emphasis on the laboratory techniques and tests required to detect it.
The author said he expanded on this aspect based on his academic and professional experience, gained through his studies and work in Jordan’s medical sector and abroad, in addition to teaching immunology at the School of Medicine at the University of Jordan.
The articles then review currently used treatment methods and conclude with recommendations on prevention and avoiding infection, as well as the importance of early diagnosis in reducing complications and the harm that may result from these diseases.
Abu Dayyeh hopes the book will benefit a wide range of readers. Its topics have been designed to suit members of the general public interested in a particular disease, while also incorporating more specialized scientific and technical aspects that can benefit students of medical and scientific colleges, particularly those studying medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, medical laboratory sciences and nursing, as well as professionals and researchers in immunology.
He also hopes the book will serve as a foundation for future, more in-depth scientific works addressing other areas of immunology that he was unable to include in this edition. He emphasized that immunology is a broad and constantly evolving field in which knowledge and scientific discoveries are advancing rapidly alongside continued developments in the digital age.
In his introduction to the book, Abu Dayyeh explains that the term immunology is derived from the Latin word immunitas, which referred to immunity from legal prosecution enjoyed by members of the Roman Senate. The term later came to denote the immunity that protects the human body against disease-causing agents.
Although experimental and research-based immunology is relatively modern, the concept of the body’s immunity against disease dates back to ancient times. The earliest known reference to this concept is believed to have been made by the Greek historian Thucydides in the fifth century BC.
The ancient Chinese also practiced a form of inoculation to prevent smallpox. They exposed children to powders made from the scabs of people infected with smallpox, with the aim of stimulating the immune system to resist the disease in the event of future exposure.
The experiment conducted by English physician Edward Jenner was one of the most important milestones in bringing the study of immunity into the realm of systematic scientific experimentation. Jenner observed that women who worked as milkmaids and contracted cowpox, a relatively mild disease, generally did not contract human smallpox, even though the two viruses belong to the same family.
This observation led Jenner to hypothesize that infection with cowpox could provide the body with immunity against the more dangerous human smallpox. To test the hypothesis, he conducted his famous experiment in 1796 on an eight-year-old boy, using material taken from cowpox lesions. The boy developed mild symptoms before recovering and later demonstrated resistance to smallpox when exposed to the disease. The experiment laid the foundation for the modern concept of vaccination and contributed to the establishment of experimental immunology.
Abu Dayyeh adds that Jenner later conducted another experiment on the same child, exposing him to the human smallpox virus to test the level of protection he had acquired from cowpox. The boy did not develop the disease, providing evidence that his previous cowpox infection had given him immunity against human smallpox. The result represented a pivotal milestone in the history of vaccination and immunology.
Since that experiment, immunology has undergone tremendous development, becoming an independent and broad field with numerous branches and applications across different areas of human health and disease. The principles and applications of immunology have become an essential part of many prevention and treatment processes, particularly vaccinations and modern therapies.
Abu Dayyeh believes the coming period will witness further advances in light of recent research showing differences in immune-system efficiency among individuals as a result of genetic and environmental variations. He points to the possibility that genetic testing could play an important role in the future in determining immune-system efficiency and individuals’ ability to resist different diseases.
He also expects preventive and therapeutic methods targeting immune-system cells and their mechanisms of action to continue developing, either by activating or suppressing immune responses depending on the nature of the disease. Such advances could open new avenues for treating diseases that remain challenging for medicine, including HIV, cancer and autoimmune diseases.
The book aims to present the latest scientific knowledge concerning a selected group of diseases resulting from impaired immune-system functions. It presents them in an interconnected manner, drawing on modern scientific concepts and terminology, as well as research findings and experiments, to explain how these diseases develop and how they can be diagnosed and treated.
Abu Dayyeh hopes the book will contribute to enriching the Arabic library with a scientific reference covering developments in rapidly evolving medical fields, particularly immunology, which continues to expand in terms of knowledge and applications.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Aziza Ali
