International Review of Cytology presents current advances and comprehensive reviews in cell biology-both plant and animal. Articles address structure and control of gene expression, nucleocytoplasmic interactions, control of cell development and differentiation, and cell transformation and growth. Authored by some of the foremost scientists in the field, each volume provides up-to-date information and directions for future research.
This volume provides an overview of major cytoplasmic properties and events which including cytoarchitecture and the physical properties of cytoplasm, molecular compartmentation and gradients, channeling, sorting, and trafficking. It also addresses physicochemical events, both measured and anticipated, which attend solutions under conditions prevailing in cytoplasm: molecular crowding. It summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field and considers questions such as how molecules in cytoplasm interact.

Membrane processes today play a signifi cant role in the replacement therapy for acute and chronic organ failure diseases. Current extracorporeal blood purifi cation and oxygenation devices employ membranes acting as selective barriers for the removal of endogeneous and exogeneous toxins and for gas exchange, respectively. Additionally, membrane technology offers new interesting opportunities for the design of bioartificial livers, pancreas, kidneys, lungs etc. This book reviews the latest developments in membrane systems for bioartificial organs and regenerative medicine, investigates how membrane technology can improve the quality and efficiency of biomedical devices, and highlights the design procedures for membrane materials covering the preparation, characterization, and sterilization steps as well as transport phenomena. The different strategies pursued for the development of membrane bioartifi cial organs, including crucial issues related to blood/cell-membrane interactions are described with the aim of opening new and exciting frontiers in the coming decades. The book is a valuable tool for tissue engineers, clinicians, biomaterials scientists, membranologists as well as biologists and biotechnologists. It is also a source of reference for students, academic and industrial researchers in the topic of biotechnology, biomedical engineering, materials science and medicine.

During the past several years there has been a shortage of flight opportunities for biological and medical projects. And those that were available usually had severe restrictions on instrumentation, number of subjects, duration, time allotted for performing the experiments, a possibility for repetition of experiments. It is our hope and expectation that this will change once the international Space Station is in full operation. The advantages of a permanent space station, already demonstrated by the Russian Mir station, are continuous availability of expert crew and a wide range of equipment, possibility of long-term experiments where this is waranted, increased numbers of subjects through larger laboratory space, proper controls in the large 1-G centrifuge, easier repeatability of experiments when needed.
The limited number of flight opportunities during recent years probably explains why it has taken so long to acquire a sufficient number of high quality contributions for this seventh volume of Advances in Space Biology and Medicine. While initially the series wassailed at annually appearing volumes, we are now down to a biannual appearance. Hopefully, it will be possible to return to annual volumes in the future when results from space station experimentation at beginning to pour in.
The first three chapters of this volume deal with muscle. Fejtek and Wassersug provide a survey of all studies on muscle of rodents flown in space, and include an interesting demography of this aspect of space research. Riley reviews our current knowledge of the effects of long-term spaceflight and re-entry on skeletal muscle, and considers the questions still to be answered before we can be satisfied that long-term space missions, such as on the space station, can be safely undertaken. Stein reviews our understanding of the nutritional and hormonal aspects of muscle loss in spaceflight, and concludes that the protein loss in space could be deleterious to health during flight and after return. Strollo summarizes our understanding of the major endocrine systems on the ground, then considers what we know about their functioning in space, concluding that there is much to be learned about the changes taking place during spaceflight. The many problems of providing life support (oxygen regeneration and food supply) during extended stay on the Moon, on Mars, or in space by means of plant cultivation are discussed by Salisbury. The challenges of utilizing electrophoresis in microgravity for the separation of cells and proteins are illustrated and explained by Bauer and colleagues. Finally, the chapter on teaching of space life sciences by Schmitt shows that this field of science has come of age, but also that its multidisciplinary character poses interesting challenges to teaching it.

This 8-volume set provides a systematic description on 8,350 active marine natural products from 3,025 various kinds of marine organisms. The diversity of structures, biological resources and pharmacological activities are discussed in detail. Molecular structural classification system with 264 structural types are developed. The 4th volume continuously illustrates the molecular formula and structures of alkaloids.

Breast cancer research has never been in such an exciting and hopeful phase as today. From a clinical perspective, the discovery of genetic markers of risk in a proportion of familial breast cancer cases has opened up new vistas for understanding and ultimately preventing this disease. On the other hand, aggressive - even daring - therapies are being proven to be effective against advanced breast cancer. For the breast cancer experimentalist, this is also a time of great advance. Although animal and cell culture breast cancer models have proven to be of great use, there are now increasing opportunities to test the concepts developed in these models in actual clinical samples and cases. It is gratifying to see how well these concepts "translate" into the clinical setting. A very active area of research that is linking the laboratory to the clinic is the dissection of the biology and elucidation of the significance of proliferate breast disease and the identification of true, "high risk" or "preneoplastic" legions within the previously ill-defined spectrum of fibrocystic or benign breast disease. One anticipates that discoveries made here will also lead to earlier detection, intervention and prevention of life-threatening cancer.
Even, however, as we look with optimism to the eventual eradication of breast cancer, we are once again forced to face the reality that we have not yet achieved our goal. Thus, we are saddened by the much too premature death of Dr. Helene Smith from breast cancer. Helena's work was at the forefront of efforts to understand the biology of human breast cancer at the molecular level. Her insight, open-mindedness, and refusal to sacrifice relevance for convenience will continue to set the standard for all breast cancer researchers. This volume is dedicated to her memory.

Cancer is an incredibly diverse and difficult disease to treat, and even after decades of research there is no definitive cure. Therefore, it is highly crucial to search for novel and new organic molecules with high potency, low toxicity, and low mutagenicity with selective anticancer properties that are able to overcome frequently developed resistance to available drugs. Heterocyclic anticancer agents are an important class of drugs for cancer therapies. This book explores different heterocycles and their use as anticancer therapies. Topics covered include different heterocyclic derivatives, the impact of heterocycles on anticancer agent development, and naturally occurring heterocycles.

The mechanism of information transfer between cells is the subject of Introduction to Signal Transduction. Until recently various aspects of signaling by hormones were studied (and taught) under the subject of endocrinology, and signaling by neurotransmitters was the subject of neurochemistry. With growing awareness of the many similarities between hormonal and neurotransmitter signalling, recent years have witnessed the emergence of Signal Transduction as an independent discipline covering all aspects of information transfer between cells irrespective of the nature and source of the signals. This book is designed for senior undergraduate/graduate-level students interested in a basic understanding of the major participants in the cellular Signal Transduction pathways. The book covers the major topics in Signal Transduction: receptors, which recognize the signals at the cell surface; G-proteins, which transduce the signals; and adenylate cyclases, guanlate cyclases, and phospholipases, which generate second messengers. Chapters also focus on ion channels, phosphodiesterases, protein kinases, phosphoprotein phosphatases and nitric oxide, which participate in the cellular response to signals; the health consequences of defects in Signal Transduction proteins; and the central role Signal Transduction plays in drug abuse. The book is suitable for an introductory course in Signal Transduction as well as for self-study and review. It is recommended for biology and medical students, as well as for interdisciplinary science majors and pharmaceutical researchers.

Biocidal polymers are designed to inhibit or kill microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and protozoans. This book summarizes recent findings in the synthesis, modification and characterization of various antimicrobial polymers ranging from plastics and elastomers to biomimetic and biodegradable polymers. Modifications with different antimicrobial agents as well as antimicrobial testing methods are described in a comprehensive manner.

The discovery of ribozymes nearly 30 years ago triggered a huge interest in the chemistry and biology of RNAs. Much of the recently made progress focusing on metal ions is addressed in MILS 9. This book, written by 28 internationally recognized experts from 8 nations, provides a most up-to-date view and is thus of special relevance for colleagues teaching courses in biological inorganic chemistry and for researchers dealing, e.g., with nucleic acids, gene expression, and enzymology, but also for those in analytical and bioinorganic chemistry or biophysics. Structural and Catalytic Roles of Metal Ions in RNA describes in an authoritative and timely manner in 12 stimulating chapters, supported by nearly 1600 references, 13 tables, and 75 illustrations, mostly in color, metal ion-binding motifs, methods to detect and characterize metal ion-binding sites, and the role of metal ions in folding and catalysis. It deals with diffuse metal ion binding, RNA quadruplexes, the regulation of riboswitches, metal ions and ribozymes, including artificial ribozymes. The spliceosome, the ribosome, ribozymes involving redox cofactors as well as the binding of kinetically inert metal ions to RNA are also covered.

Volume 8, solely devoted to the toxicology of metals and metalloids as well as their compounds, focuses on human health. Not surprisingly, all related research areas are rapidly developing due to the role of metals and metalloids in the environment, for the work place, for food and water supply, etc. Written by 40 internationally recognized experts, the 14 stimulating chapters provide an authoritative and timely resource for scientists working in the wide range from analytical, physical, inorganic, and environmental biochemistry all the way through to toxicology, physiology, and medicine. Volume 8 highlights, supported by nearly 1900 references, in a comprehensive and timely manner the principles of risk assessment regarding the effects of metals on human health. It examines how metal ions and their compounds affect the pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal (including liver), hematological, immune, and neurological systems, the kidney, skin and eyes, as well as human reproduction and development. MILS-8 terminates with the role of metal ions as endocrine disrupters, in genotoxicity, and cancer risk.

The occurrence of a wide variety of metal-carbon bonds in living organisms, ranging from bacteria to humans, is only recently recognized. Of course, the historical examples are the B12 coenzymes containing cobalt-carbon bonds, but now such bonds are also known for nickel, iron, copper, and other transition metal ions. There is no other comparable book; MILS-6, written by 17 experts, summarizes the most recent insights into this fascinating topic.

The future of oncology seems to lie in Molecular Medicine (MM). MM is a new science based on three pillars. Two of them are evident in its very name and are well known: medical science and molecular biology. However, there is a general unawareness that MM is firmly based on a third, and equally important, pillar: Systems Biomedicine. Currently, this term denotes multilevel, hierarchical models integrating key factors at the molecular, cellular, tissue, through phenotype levels, analyzed to reveal the global behavior of the biological process under consideration. It becomes increasingly evident that the tools to construct such complex models include, not only bioinformatics and modern applied statistics, as is unanimously agreed, but also other interdisciplinary fields of science, notably, Mathematical Oncology, Systems Biology and Theoretical Biophysics.