Encyclopedia of Cell Biology, Second Edition, a Six Volume Set, has established itself as a fundamental reference work, providing broad coverage of the field in four main sections (Molecular, Organizational, Functional, Translational and Pathological Aspects of Cell Biology). This second edition revisits and expands each section, with entries on topics not covered in the first edition, including Crispr. The whole work is updated, providing greater coverage of specialized cell function and translational applications, and putting greater emphasis on these topics in graduate/medical teaching. New overview chapters and subsections provide a simplified cell biology text that can be used by instructors. The new version includes a standard template for each chapter, making the content easier to navigate, as well as inserts and graphics which provide summaries of key points in each chapter.

Tamoxifen Tales: Suggestions for Scientific Survival presents a case study describing the academic journey of teams behind major advances in medical sciences, highlighting lessons learned that are applicable to the next generation of scientists. This book provides a manual on the successful mentoring of young scientists, including stories describing how training experience shaped careers to become leaders in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The book documents Professor V. Craig Jordan's 50-year career in medical sciences that led to the discovery and development of Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs), which became the standard of women's healthcare around the world. Additionally, it illustrates the versatility of a scientist with a commitment to serving societies. This important resource will be a useful and interesting book for established medical scientists, research mentors and advanced students wanting to chart a successful and impactful research career.

Herbal Bioactive-Based Drug Delivery Systems: Challenges and Opportunities provides a wide-ranging, in-depth resource for herbal bioactives, including detailed discussion of standardization and regulations. The book first explores specific drug delivery systems such as gastrointestinal, ocular, pulmonary, transdermal, and vaginal and rectal. It then discusses novel applications for nano, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, wound healing and cancer treatment. Finally, there is a section focusing on standardization and regulation which includes an enhancement of properties. This book is an essential resource for pharmacologists, pharmaceutical scientists, material scientists, botanists, and all those interested in natural products and drug delivery systems developments.

International Review of Cytology presents current advances and comprehensive reviews in cell biology - both plant and animal. Authored by some of the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for future research. Articles in this volume include Adhesion Molecules and Other Secreted Host-interaction Determinants in Apicomplexa: Insights from Comparative Genomics; Cell Responses to Biomimetic Protein Scaffold Used in Tissue Repair and Engineering; New Insights into Glycosphingolipid Function - Storage, Lipid Rafts and Translocators; Microscopic Morphology and the Origins of the Membrane Maturation Model of Golgi Apparatus Function; New Insights into the Macronuclear Development in Cilliates; Polarity Regulators and the Control of Epithelial Architecture, Cell Migration and Tumourigenesis.

Atkinson's Principles of Clinical Pharmacology, Fourth Edition is the essential reference on the pharmacologic principles underlying the individualization of patient therapy and contemporary drug development. This well-regarded survey continues to focus on the basics of clinical pharmacology for the development, evaluation and clinical use of pharmaceutical products while also addressing the most recent advances in the field. Written by leading experts in academia, industry, clinical and regulatory settings, the fourth edition has been thoroughly updated to provide readers with an ideal reference on the wide range of important topics impacting clinical pharmacology.

Epigenetic Cancer Therapy, Second Edition provides a comprehensive discussion of healthy and aberrant epigenetic biology, along with new discoveries to improve our understanding of cancer epigenetics and therapeutics. The book encompasses large-scale intergovernmental initiatives, as well as recent findings across cancer stem cells, rational drug design, clinical trials, and chemopreventative strategies. As a whole, the work articulates and raises the profile of epigenetics as a therapeutic option in the future management of cancer. Since the publication of the first edition of this book, the field of epigenetics has undergone significant change. New epigenetic therapies have been designed and approved for clinical use. Our knowledge of the plasticity of the epigenome in cancer and disease has expanded dramatically, with increasing evidence linking pollution to epigenetic changes in cancer development. This second edition has been fully updated to address these changes, along with promising therapeutic programs such as CRISPR/Cas9 mediated approaches, CAR-T based therapies, epigenetic priming, histone modifications, and similar, transformative advances across synthetic biology and cellular engineering.

Standardizing Pharmacology: Assays and Hormones, Volume Two in the Discoveries in Pharmacology series, presents selected articles from historic discoveries that are enhanced with commentary from contemporary scholars who present discussions on the importance of each chapter, along with an updated bibliography on the subject and contributions from a Nobel Prize winner and other pioneers in pharmacology. Academic and industry researchers in pharmacology and medicine, as well as advanced students will find this series a useful teaching tool and launch to new discoveries. Sections cover key discoveries in receptor theory, pharmacological methods and the development of hormone therapy, including J. Parascandola on the development of receptor theory, R.S. Yalow on radioimmunoassay, M. van Rossum and J.T L.A. Hurkmans on bioassays, M. Tausk on androgen therapy and C. Djerassi on oral contraceptives, with commentaries from experts such as T. Hoekfelt and V.C. Jordan.

Anti-Aging Pharmacology provides an overview of current research aimed at the pharmacological modulation of aging, including a discussion of the growing number of novel drug classes with promising anti-aging potential. The aging process is the main risk factor for all chronic diseases affecting the elderly. With lifespans extending across the globe, these chronic diseases are placing a larger burden on individuals and health care systems. Therefore, slowing down the aging rate could be more effective in delaying aging-associated chronic disorders than combating them one by one, which is the conventional approach in a current disease-based pharmacological paradigm. This book contains the work of the world's leading researchers in the field, including sections on the conceptual and methodological background of anti-aging pharmacology, the basic classes of anti-aging drugs, phytochemicals, outcomes of anti-aging developments and future directions. This book will be of interest to a wide audience, ranging from pharmacologists, medicinal chemists and academic researchers in gerontology, biomedical sciences and those in medical practice.

Discoveries in Pharmacology: Volume 1: Nervous system and hormones (2nd Ed.) presents selected articles from the historic Discoveries in Pharmacology series enhanced with commentary from contemporary scholars about the reception and importance of the chapter along with an updated bibliography on the subject with contributions from a Nobel Prize winner and other pioneers in Pharmacology. The Discoveries in Pharmacology series brought acknowledged experts in their fields together to provide first-hand accounts of important pharmacological discoveries discussing the scientific background and stories behind these pivotal moments. They allow a true understanding of the means by which pharmacological discoveries are made. This volume brings forth discussions on key discoveries in psycho- and neuro-pharmacology, haemodynamics, and hormones including chapters on antipsychotic agents by Nobel winner Anders Carlsson, Willy Haefely on benzodiazepine, and butyrophenone-type neuroleptics by P. A. J. Janssen and J. P. Tollenaere. Academic and industry researchers in pharmacology and medicine, as well as advanced students in the area will find this series a useful teaching tool and launch to new discoveries. Chapters can also be used to supplement course material in pharmacology and medical courses. It will also be of interest to those who are interested in the history of medicine.

Naturally Occurring Chemicals against Alzheimer's Disease offers a detailed discussion on the roles, molecular mechanisms, structural activity relationships, toxicology and clinical data on phytochemicals in relation to Alzheimer's disease. The book examines the available phytochemicals and plants that are potentially effective, also determining the role and molecular targets of these phytochemicals in combating AD. This comprehensive resource will be helpful to researchers who are working on herbal drugs on AD, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, clinical trials, neuroscience and advancement in formulations.

Formulation of Monoclonal Antibody Therapies: From Lab to Market covers a wide range of topics about therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with a focus on formulation aspects. Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are used for treatment of chronic diseases. It brings together a comprehensive knowledge in one accessible volume. Starting with foundational information on monoclonal antibodies, the book then discusses the importance of biopharmaceutical products, monoclonal antibodies and biosimilars in treatment of chronic diseases, pharmaceutical aspects of mAbs, and how it can be administered. It also covers the industrial point of view and the clinical application of mAbs including in oncology, general medicine, rheumatology, hematology, dermatology, gastrointestinal tract, metabolic diseases, and dentistry. Formulation of Monoclonal Antibody Therapies: From Lab to Market is essential reading for researchers in biotechnology and biopharmaceutical fields, academics and pharmaceutical industrial scientists, and university students in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sciences.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a ubiquitous internalization process in eukaryotic cells. It consists of the formation of an approximately 50-nm diameter vesicle out of a flat membrane. Genetics, biochemistry, and microscopy experiments performed in the last four decades have been instrumental to discover and characterize major endocytic proteins in yeast and mammals. However, due to the highly dynamic nature of the endocytic assembly and its small size, many questions remain unresolved: how are endocytic proteins organized spatially and dynamically? How are forces produced and how are their directions controlled? How do the biochemical activities of endocytic proteins and the membrane shape and mechanics regulate each other? These questions are virtually impossible to visualize or measure directly with conventional approaches but thanks to new quantitative biology methods, it is now possible to infer the mechanisms of endocytosis in exquisite detail. This book introduces quantitative microscopy and mathematical modeling approaches that have been used to count the copy number of endocytic proteins, infer their localization with nanometer precision, and infer molecular and physical mechanisms that are involved in the robust formation of endocytic vesicles.

Research on dyneins has a direct impact on human diseases, such as viruses and cancer. With an accompanying website showing over 100 streaming videos of cell dynamic behavior for best comprehension of material, Dynein: Structure, Biology and Disease is the only reference covering the structure, biology and application of dynein research to human disease. From bench to bedside, Dynein: Structure, Biology and Disease offers research on fundamental cellular processes to researchers and clinicians across developmental biology, cell biology, molecular biology, biophysics, biomedicine, genetics and medicine.

This volume of Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science focuses on the growth hormone in health and disease.

Allosteric Modulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors reviews fundamental information on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and allosteric modulation, presenting original research in the area and collectively providing a comprehensive description of key issues in GPCR allosteric modulation. The book provides background on core concepts of molecular pharmacology while also introducing the most important advances and studies in the area. It also discusses key methodologies. This is an essential book for researchers and advanced students engaged in pharmacology, toxicology and pharmaceutical sciences training and research. Many of the GPCR-targeted drugs released in the past decade have specifically worked via allosteric mechanisms. Unlike direct orthosteric-acting compounds that occupy a similar receptor site to that of endogenous ligands, allosteric modulators alter GPCR-dependent signaling at a site apart from the endogenous ligand. Recent methodological and analytical advances have greatly improved our ability to understand the signaling mechanisms of GPCRs. We now know that allostery is a common regulatory mechanism for all GPCRs and not - as we once believed - unique to a few receptor subfamilies.

The Pharmacological Potential of Cyanobacteria explores the bioactive compounds isolated from cyanobacteria and their relationship to human health and biotechnological applications. The book presents an overview of the chemistry and ecology of cyanobacteria, focusing on culture needs and techniques of biomass production. It is organized according to the different biological activities and biotechnological applications of compounds discovered in recent years. Besides biological activity, the mechanism of action of compounds is explained, along with molecular structure. Finally, compounds already used in therapeutics and biotechnology, as well as those in phases of approval or clinical trials are explored. Each chapter is written by a different research group with expertise in the field and publications in peer reviewed journals. Researchers and students in pharmaceutical academic research, pharmaceutical industrial sector personnel, health professionals, and nutritionists will find this book to be very useful.

Herbal Biomolecules in Healthcare Applications presents extensive detailed information on all the vital principles, basics and fundamental aspects of multiple herbal biomolecules in the healthcare industry. This book examines important herbal biomolecules including alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, anthraquinones, steroids, polysaccharides, tannins and polyphenolic compounds, terpenes, fats and waxes, proteins and peptides, and vitamins. These herbal biomacromolecules are responsible for different bioactivities as well as pharmacological potentials. A systematic understanding of the extraction, purification, characterization, applications of these herbal biomolecules and their derivatives in healthcare fields is developed in this comprehensive book. Chapters explore the key topics along with an emphasis on recent research and developments in healthcare fields by leading experts. They include updated literature review of the relevant key topics, good quality illustrations, chemical structures, flow charts, well-organized tables and case studies. Herbal Biomolecules in Healthcare Applications will be useful for researchers working on natural products and biomolecules with bioactivity and nutraceutical properties. Professionals specializing in scientific areas such as biochemistry, pharmacology, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, clinics, or engineering focused on bioactive natural products will find this book useful.

This book covers core and emerging in vitro and in vivo protocols used to study how various components of the tumor microenvironment are established and subsequently interact with tumor cells to facilitate carcinogenesis. In addition, the book examines research topics including cellular and molecular biology approaches, in vivo genetic approaches, various "omics"-based strategies, therapeutic strategies to target the microenvironment, and, finally, advanced techniques in the fields of tissue engineering and nanotechnology. Written and validated in the laboratories of a number of trusted collaborating authors for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and authoritative, The Tumor Microenvironment: Methods and Protocols constitutes a compendium of techniques now available to a broad audience, including basic and clinician scientists, systems biologists, and biological engineers.

The rapid expansion of the area of free radical biology in the last 25 years has occurred within a framework of assumptions and preconceived notions that has at times directed the course of this movement. The most dominant of these notions has been the view that free radical production is without exception a bad thing, and that the more efficient our elimination of these toxic substances, the better off we will be. The very important observation by Bernard Babior and colleagues in 1973 that activated phagocytes produce superoxide in order to kill micro organisms, served to illustrate that constructive roles are possible for free radicals. For many in the field, however, this merely underscored the deadly nature of oxygen-derived radicals, both from the microbe's point of view and from the host's as well. (Phagocyte-produced superoxide is responsible in part for the tissue injury manifested as inflammation. See Harris and Granger, Chapter 5, and Leff, Hybertson and Repine, Chapter 6.)
Mother Nature, however, has a penchant for being able to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. If one is dealt a bad hand, one must simply make the best of it. After two decades of focusing on the destructive side of free radicals, the last few years have begun to reveal a new and finer perspective on free radical metabolism - a role in regulation of cellular function (see Schulze-Osthoff and Baeuerle, Chapter 2). Evidence from a number of sources suggests that an increase in the oxidative status of cell encourages that cell to grow and divide. Increasing the expression of mangnese superoxide dismutase can suppress the malignant phenotype of melanon cells (see Oberley and Oberley, Chapter 3). Oxidative stress beyond a certain poitosis (from the Greek, literally "to fall apart"). Is this suicide response an evolutionary fail-safe device to curtail tumorogenesis? Does oxidative stress-induced apoptosis account for the loss of immune cells in AIDS (see Flores and McCor Chapter 4)?
This volume attempts to present the spectrum of roles, both good and bad played by active oxygen species as understood at this point in the evolution of this field of free radical biology.

Volume 6 provides coverage of the mechanisms of regulation of autophagy; intracellular pathogen use of the autophagy mechanism; the role of autophagy in host immunity; and selective autophagy. Attention is given to a number of mechanistic advances in the understanding of regulation, particularly the importance of nutrient availability; microRNAs; and cross-talk with other protein degradation pathways. Intracellular pathogen repurposing of autophagy for pathogenic benefit is also provided, with coverage of Herpesvirus protein modulation of autophagy; the varicella-zoster virus and the maintenance of homeostasis; and the relationship between autophagy and the hepatitis b virus. The significance of autophagy in host defense is elucidated, providing a specific focus on facilitation of antigen presentation; participation in thymic development; and the sharing of regulatory nodes with innate immunity. Selective autophagy for the degradation of mitochondria and endocytosed gap junctions are also explored. This book is an asset to newcomers as a concise overview of the regulation of autophagy, its role in host defense and immunity, and selective autophagy, while serving as an excellent reference for more experienced scientists and clinicians looking to update their knowledge. Volumes in the Series Volume 1: Molecular Mechanisms. Elucidates autophagy's association with numerous biological processes, including cellular development and differentiation, cancer, immunity, infectious diseases, inflammation, maintenance of homeostasis, response to cellular stress, and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prion diseases. Volume 2: Role in General Diseases. Describes the various aspects of the complex process of autophagy in a myriad of devastating human diseases, expanding from a discussion of essential autophagic functions into the role of autophagy in proteins, pathogens, immunity, and general diseases. Volume 3: Role in Specific Diseases. Explores the role of autophagy in specific diseases and developments, including: Crohn's Disease, Gaucher Disease, Huntington's Disease, HCV infection, osteoarthritis, and liver injury, with a full section devoted to in-depth exploration of autophagy in tumor development and cancer, as well as the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis. Volume 4: Mitophagy. Presents detailed information on the role of mitophagy, the selective autophagy of mitochondria, in health and disease, by delivering an in-depth treatment of the molecular mechanisms involved in mitophagy initiation and execution, as well as the role of mitophagy in Parkinson Disease, cardiac aging, and skeletal muscle atrophy. Volume 5: Role in Human Diseases. Comprehensively describes the role of autophagy in human diseases, delivering coverage of the antitumor and protumor roles of autophagy; the therapeutic inhibition of autophagy in cancer; and the duality of autophagy's effects in various cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. Volume 6: Regulation of Autophagy and Selective Autophagy. Provides coverage of the mechanisms of regulation of autophagy; intracellular pathogen use of the autophagy mechanism; the role of autophagy in host immunity; and selective autophagy. Volume 7: Role of Autophagy in Therapeutic Applications. Provides coverage of the latest developments in autophagosome biogenesis and regulation; the role of autophagy in protein quality control; the role of autophagy in apoptosis; autophagy in the cardiovascular system; and the relationships between autophagy and lifestyle. Volume 8: Autophagy and Human Diseases. Reviews recent advancements in the molecular mechanisms underlying a large number of genetic and epigenetic diseases and abnormalities, and introduces new, more effective therapeutic strategies, in the development of targeted drugs and programmed cell death, providing information that will aid on preventing detrimental inflammation. Volume 9: Necrosis and Inflammation in Human Diseases. Emphasizes the role of Autophagy in necrosis and inflammation, explaining in detail the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the formation of autophagosomes, including the progression of Omegasomes to autophagosomes.

Understanding the importance and necessity of the role of autophagy in health and disease is vital for the studies of cancer, aging, neurodegeneration, immunology, and infectious diseases. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this book offers a valuable guide to these cellular processes whilst inciting researchers to explore their potentially important connections. Volume 5 comprehensively describes the role of autophagy in human diseases, delivering coverage of the antitumor and protumor roles of autophagy; the therapeutic inhibition of autophagy in cancer; and the duality of autophagy's effects in various cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. In spite of the increasing importance of autophagy in the various pathophysiological conditions mentioned above, this process remains underestimated and overlooked. As a consequence, its role in the initiation, stability, maintenance, and progression of these and other diseases remains poorly understood. This book is an asset to newcomers as a concise overview of the diverse disease implications of autophagy, while serving as an excellent reference for more experienced scientists and clinicians looking to update their knowledge. Volumes in the Series Volume 1: Molecular Mechanisms. Elucidates autophagy's association with numerous biological processes, including cellular development and differentiation, cancer, immunity, infectious diseases, inflammation, maintenance of homeostasis, response to cellular stress, and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prion diseases. Volume 2: Role in General Diseases. Describes the various aspects of the complex process of autophagy in a myriad of devastating human diseases, expanding from a discussion of essential autophagic functions into the role of autophagy in proteins, pathogens, immunity, and general diseases. Volume 3: Role in Specific Diseases. Explores the role of autophagy in specific diseases and developments, including: Crohn's Disease, Gaucher Disease, Huntington's Disease, HCV infection, osteoarthritis, and liver injury, with a full section devoted to in-depth exploration of autophagy in tumor development and cancer, as well as the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis. Volume 4: Mitophagy. Presents detailed information on the role of mitophagy, the selective autophagy of mitochondria, in health and disease, by delivering an in-depth treatment of the molecular mechanisms involved in mitophagy initiation and execution, as well as the role of mitophagy in Parkinson Disease, cardiac aging, and skeletal muscle atrophy. Volume 5: Role in Human Diseases. Comprehensively describes the role of autophagy in human diseases, delivering coverage of the antitumor and protumor roles of autophagy; the therapeutic inhibition of autophagy in cancer; and the duality of autophagy's effects in various cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. Volume 6: Regulation of Autophagy and Selective Autophagy. Provides coverage of the mechanisms of regulation of autophagy; intracellular pathogen use of the autophagy mechanism; the role of autophagy in host immunity; and selective autophagy. Volume 7: Role of Autophagy in Therapeutic Applications. Provides coverage of the latest developments in autophagosome biogenesis and regulation; the role of autophagy in protein quality control; the role of autophagy in apoptosis; autophagy in the cardiovascular system; and the relationships between autophagy and lifestyle. Volume 8: Autophagy and Human Diseases. Reviews recent advancements in the molecular mechanisms underlying a large number of genetic and epigenetic diseases and abnormalities, and introduces new, more effective therapeutic strategies, in the development of targeted drugs and programmed cell death, providing information that will aid on preventing detrimental inflammation. Volume 9: Necrosis and Inflammation in Human Diseases. Emphasizes the role of Autophagy in necrosis and inflammation, explaining in detail the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the formation of autophagosomes, including the progression of Omegasomes to autophagosomes.

Autophagy: Cancer, Other Pathologies, Inflammation, Immunity, Infection and Aging, Volume 4 - Mitophagy presents detailed information on the role of mitophagy, the selective autophagy of mitochondria, in health and disease, by delivering an in-depth treatment of the molecular mechanisms involved in mitophagy initiation and execution, as well as the role of mitophagy in Parkinson's Disease, cardiac aging, and skeletal muscle atrophy. The most current understanding of the proteins and pathways involved in mitophagy are covered, with specific attention to Nix and Bnip3, PINK1/Parkin, Atg32, and FUNDC1. The role of mitophagy in cancer, neurodegeneration, aging, infection, and inflammation is also discussed providing essential insights into the pathogenesis of a variety of mitochondria dysfunction-related diseases. This book is an asset to newcomers as a concise overview of the current knowledge on mitophagy, while serving as an excellent update reference for more experienced scientists working on other aspects of autophagy. From these well-developed foundations, researchers, translational scientists, and practitioners may work to better implement more effective therapies against some of the most devastating human diseases. Volumes in the Series Volume 1: Molecular Mechanisms. Elucidates autophagy's association with numerous biological processes, including cellular development and differentiation, cancer, immunity, infectious diseases, inflammation, maintenance of homeostasis, response to cellular stress, and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and prion diseases. Volume 2: Role in General Diseases. Describes the various aspects of the complex process of autophagy in a myriad of devastating human diseases, expanding from a discussion of essential autophagic functions into the role of autophagy in proteins, pathogens, immunity, and general diseases. Volume 3: Role in Specific Diseases. Explores the role of autophagy in specific diseases and developments, including: Crohn's Disease, Gaucher Disease, Huntington's Disease, HCV infection, osteoarthritis, and liver injury, with a full section devoted to in-depth exploration of autophagy in tumor development and cancer, as well as the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis. Volume 4: Mitophagy. Presents detailed information on the role of mitophagy, the selective autophagy of mitochondria, in health and disease, by delivering an in-depth treatment of the molecular mechanisms involved in mitophagy initiation and execution, as well as the role of mitophagy in Parkinson Disease, cardiac aging, and skeletal muscle atrophy. Volume 5: Role in Human Diseases. Comprehensively describes the role of autophagy in human diseases, delivering coverage of the antitumor and protumor roles of autophagy; the therapeutic inhibition of autophagy in cancer; and the duality of autophagy's effects in various cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders. Volume 6: Regulation of Autophagy and Selective Autophagy. Provides coverage of the mechanisms of regulation of autophagy; intracellular pathogen use of the autophagy mechanism; the role of autophagy in host immunity; and selective autophagy. Volume 7: Role of Autophagy in Therapeutic Applications. Provides coverage of the latest developments in autophagosome biogenesis and regulation; the role of autophagy in protein quality control; the role of autophagy in apoptosis; autophagy in the cardiovascular system; and the relationships between autophagy and lifestyle. Volume 8: Autophagy and Human Diseases. Reviews recent advancements in the molecular mechanisms underlying a large number of genetic and epigenetic diseases and abnormalities, and introduces new, more effective therapeutic strategies, in the development of targeted drugs and programmed cell death, providing information that will aid on preventing detrimental inflammation. Volume 9: Necrosis and Inflammation in Human Diseases. Emphasizes the role of Autophagy in necrosis and inflammation, explaining in detail the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the formation of autophagosomes, including the progression of Omegasomes to autophagosomes.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced during pregnancy by the embryo. It promotes progesterone production by corpus luteal cells. It also functions in pregnancy to promote angiogenesis in uterine vasculature, it immuno-blands the invading placental tissue so it is not rejected by the maternal uterine tissues, promotes the growth of the uterus in line with the growth of the fetus, promotes the differentiation of growing cytotrophoblast cells, promotes the quiescence of contractions in the uterine myometrium during the course of pregnancy, and also has function in growth and development of fetal organs. The first edition described the detailed biology, clinical chemistry, and clinical perspectives of hCG and associated molecules, and examines hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG and hCG free ss-subunit, 3 separate and independent molecules with totally sovereign physiological functions. The second edition will include coverage of the many new discoveries that have been made in the last five years: hCG analogues may be the actual driving signal of all human cancers. The editor estimates that 40% of the out of date material will be excluded and replaced with 40% of the exciting new findings. The book will also have a much clearer pregnancy and cancer focus.