The acute inflammatory reaction.

A major theme in current developments in this field has been the realization that the target tissue, in particular the endothelium, has an active role in initiating and participating in inflammatory reactions and is not a passive target, as was previously thought. Attempts to delineate the mechanisms involved have benefited immeasurably from the application of the modern techniques of molecular and cellular biology, and will continue to do so. It is axiomatic that a fuller understanding of these mechanisms will result in the development of new strategies designed to block the acute inflammatory response more specifically and effectively.