Preface -- Contents -- Introduction to the Earthworm Immune System -- The Earthworm: A New Model with Biomedical Applications -- Coelomocytes (Leukocytes) -- Cytochemical Properties of Earthworm Coelomocytes Enriched by Percoll -- Earthworm Coelomocytes: Convenient Model for Basic and Applied Sciences -- Use of Fluorescent Probes to Analyze the Killing, Encapsulation and Chemotaxis Functions of Coelomocytes of the Earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris -- Comparative Analysis of Earthworm Immune System Using Cell Surface and Intracellular Markers -- Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity -- Coelomic Fluid from Lumbricus terrestris and Eisenia foetida inhibits Escherichia coli -- Earthworm Humoral Immune System: Interaction of Hemolysins with Lipid Membranes Requires Sphingolipids -- Evidence for a Perforin-like Cell-mediated Cytolysis by Earthworm Coelomocytes -- The Evolution of Cell Killing: When a Target Cell Became "Invited" to Choose How to Die -- Other Annelid Models: Leeches -- Leech Immune Responses: Contributions and Biomedical Applications -- New Powerful Cascade Coagulant Inhibitors Isolated from the Gut of the Leech: Theromyzon Tessulatum -- Other Invertebrate Models -- The Ancient Principle of Membrane Permeabilization: Structure and Function of Evolutionarily Divergent Cytolytic and Antimicrobial Polypeptides -- From Earthworm to Mussel Innate Immunity -- The Prophenoloxidase Activating System in Invertebrates: A Short Review -- Mitogenic, Lectin and Cytokine-like Activities -- Mitogenic Factors in Eisenia Foetida Coelomic Fluid as Regulatory Molecules -- TNF Analogue in Earthworms and the Role of Lectin-Saccharide Interactions in Regulatory Function of Primitive Cytokines -- The Functional Relevance of the Lectin-like Activities of Cytokines: TNF as an Illustrative Example -- Activities against Parasites.

Invertebrate Immune Responses to Eukaryotic Parasites: Reaction of Coelomocytes of Lumbricus Terrestris to Native and Non-native Parasite -- Summary and Perspectives -- An Overview of Cytolytic Factors in Eisenia Foetida Coelomic Fluid -- Bibliography of Edwin L. Cooper emphasizing on earthworms (1966-2002) -- Author Index -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- K -- L -- M -- N -- P -- R -- S -- T -- V -- W.