This book discusses the emergence of a new class of genes with a specific anticancer activity. These genes, recently defined as "Anticancer Genes", are reviewed in individual chapters on their mode of action, the specific cell death signals they induce, and the status of attempts to translate them into clinical application. Anticancer Genes provides an overview of this nascent field, its genesis, current state, and prospect. It discusses how Anticancer Genes might lead to the identification of a repertoire of signaling pathways directed against cellular alterations that are specific for tumor cells. With contributions from experts worldwide, Anticancer Genes is an essential guide to this dynamic topic for researchers and students in cancer research, molecular medicine, pharmacology and toxicology and genetics as well as clinicians and clinical researchers interested in the therapeutic potential of this exciting new field.

Ocular toxicity is routinely assessed in toxicology studies conducted for regulatory purposes. Ocular anatomy and physiology and the assessment of ocular toxicity itself can be challenging to scientists involved in the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other agents. Anatomical and physiological differences between species can impact the nature of ocular effects observed following intended or unintended exposure of ocular tissues to xenobiotics. "Ocular Toxicity in Laboratory Animals" provides a concise reference addressing ocular anatomy and physiology across species that will enhance the design and interpretation of toxicology studies conducted for regulatory purposes.

The book provides an overview of routine and advanced techniques that are used to assess ocular toxicity including slit lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, electrophysiology and imaging methods for the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Additionally, the book defines the regulatory expectations for pharmaceuticals intended to treat ocular diseases and for other non-pharmaceutical regulated chemicals. With contributions from experts in the field, "Ocular Toxicity in Laboratory Animals" is an authoritative, accessible guide for toxicologists and other scientists involved in conducting toxicology studies for regulatory purposes and/or reviewing data from such studies."

The currently available means of combating fungal infections are weak and clumsy. The application of fungal genomics offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop novel antifungal drugs. Interestingly, several novel antifungal drug targets have already been identified and validated. However, it is premature to expect a novel antifungal agent in clinical setting as drug discovery programs are still in their infancy. In addition to classical and genomic approaches to drug discovery, treasure trove based on natural products and phytomedicine can provide a multitude of alternative modes of combating fungal infection. This book incisively addresses essential topics on various aspects pertaining to fungal diseases in human and animals, their reservoir, fungal pathogenesis, their management and recent advances in their treatment. Issues of antifungal drug toxicity, especially nephrotoxicity, are also discussed. The development of resistance in fungal pathogens, including multidrug resistance and its mechanism, is dealt with in two chapters. Diverse diagnostic approaches to fungal infections are also reviewed. The combinational drug strategies used in combating invasive fungal infections are addressed in detail. The management of pulmonary mycoses in stem cell transplantation is also given special focus. Novel antifungal drugs (synthetic and herbal), fungal vaccines, and metabolic pathways as drug targets are discussed in detail in three different chapters. Subsequently the roles of innate immunity, cytokine therapy and immunomodulators in the treatment of fungal infections are elaborated upon. As novel drug delivery systems have a great potential for modifying the pharmacokinetics of medications, the last chapter takes this fact into consideration in its examination of state-of-the-art delivery systems in controlling fungal infections.

PARP Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy provides a comprehensive overview of the role of PARP in cancer therapy. The volume covers the history of the discovery of PARP (poly ADP ribose polymerase) and its role in DNA repair. In addition, a description of discovery of the PARP family, and other DNA maintenance-associated PARPs will also be discussed. The volume also features a section on accessible chemistry behind the development of inhibitors. PARP inhibitors are a group of pharmacological inhibitors that are a particularly good target for cancer therapy. PARP plays a pivotal role in DNA repair and may contribute to the therapeutic resistance to DNA damaging agents used to treat cancer. Researchers have learned a tremendous amount about the biology of PARP and how tumour-specific defects in DNA repair can be exploited by PARPi. The "synthetic lethality" of PARPi is an exciting concept for cancer therapy and has led to a heightened activity in this area.

Cardiac Drug Development Guide outlines, in detail, the therapeutics of cardiac medicine currently at the cutting edge of scientific research and development around the world. This volume integrates basic and clinical cardiac pharmacology by c- bining, for the first time, both classical and molecular aspects of therapeutic drug development. The chapters comprise a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas and hence involve a comprehensive discussion of molecular, biochemical, and electrophy- ological concepts based on years of in vitro as well as in vivo pharmacological st- ies. In addition, the latter part of the book includes comprehensive clinical cardiac chapters that describe important topics in molecular medicine. These chapters also discuss current clinical therapeutic trends in medicine and provide an evaluation of the efficacy of novel drugs in these areas. Cardiac Drug Development Guide has many distinctive and outstanding features that set it apart from other cardiac pharmacology books. This book introduces topics in an easily understandable format for researchers in many varying disciplines by integrating and thereby simplifying concepts not usually discussed across a broad range of cardiac disciplines and in a highly technical field. Each chapter not only introduces and describes the physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology of the disease, but also overviews the clinical implications of drug development, what stages these areas are currently in, and also reviews some of the methodologies involved in drug discovery and development. As a result, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the most advanced procedures in cardiac pharmacology today.

Molecular imaging plays an important role in drug discovery and advanced medical practice. A symposium of world leaders in drug research and development, molecular imaging, and medical therapy including regenerative treatment and radiation therapy has led to the publication of this book. Based on the proceedings of the symposium, many excellent ideas and valuable discussions are introduced that will guide the reader toward new advances in photon detection and protein modification as well as new developments in molecular imaging itself. Both protein modification and photon detection are emerging technologies that hold forth the promise of innovative strategies for drug discovery and medical care. The publication of these proceedings is a timely means of sharing significant experience and knowledge with many specialists all over the world. This book will be of great value to a wide variety of researchers in the fields of drug development and molecular imaging technologies, leading to integrated medical therapy and progress in human health.

The purpose of this book is to provide a current perspective on the epidemiology head and neck cancer. Cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx comprise an important group of tumors with diverse international patterns of incidence and mortality, established risk factors, suggested association with a virus, and potential genetic susceptibility determinants. These tumors offer a unique insight into mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression and gene-exposure interaction.

Covering topics from individual molecules to systemic diseases, from basic concepts to advanced technologies, Pharmacogenomics in Drug Discovery and Development , Second Edition provides a practical, state-of-the-art and integrative view of the application of pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and development. A wide range of theoretical and experimental approaches are introduced to meet the problem-solving objectives for understanding the complexity in health and diseases, from laboratory tests to computational analysis. The development of pharmacogenomics represents the evolution of biomedicine from treating the disease itself to treating the malfunction of an individual person, the "root" of diseases. With the change of focus from disease-centered to human-centric medicine, pharmacogenomics brings hope for the transformation from simple disease treatment to accurate prediction and effective prevention. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Pharmacogenomics in Drug Discovery and Development, Second Edition seeks to serve both professionals and novices with comprehensive resources and a holistic view for the translation of pharmacogenomics into better preventive and personalized medical care.

A consolidated and comprehensive reference on ligand-binding assays

Ligand-binding assays (LBAs) stand as the cornerstone of support for definition of the pharmaco-kinetics and toxicokinetics of macromolecules, an area of burgeoning interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Yet, outside of the Crystal City Conference proceedings, little guidance has been available for LBA validation, particularly for assays used to support macromolecule drug development. "Ligand-Binding Assays: Development, Validation, and Implementation in the Drug Development Arena" answers that growing need, serving as a reference text discussing critical aspects of the development, validation, and implementation of ligand-binding assays in the drug development field.

"Ligand-Binding Assays" covers essential topics related to ligand-binding assays, from pharmacokinetic studies, the development of LBAs, assay validation, statistical LBA aspects, and regulatory aspects, to software for LBAs and robotics and other emerging methodologies for LBAs. Highlights include:

A general discussion of challenges and proven approaches in the development of ligand-binding assays

More detailed examination of characteristics of these assays when applied to support of pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic studies of compounds at different stages in the discovery or development timeline

A concise, but detailed, discussion of validation of ligand-binding assays for macromolecules

A practical approach to "fit-for-purpose" validation of assays for biomarkers, those molecules receiving increased attention as potentially demonstrating that the target chosen in discovery is being modulated by the candidate therapeutic, both in nonclinical and clinical studies

Written by a team of world-recognized authorities in the field, "Ligand-Binding Assays" provides key information to a broad range of practitioners, both in the pharmaceutical and allied industries and in related contract research organizations and academic laboratories and, perhaps, even in the field of diagnostics and clinical chemistry.

Six decades after the serendipitous discovery of chlorpromazine as an antipsychotic and four decades after the launch of clozapine, the first atypical or second generation antipsychotic, psychopharmacology has arrived at an important crossroad. It is clear that pharmacological research and pharmaceutical development must now focus on complementary or even alternative mechanisms of action to address unmet medical needs, i.e. poorly treated domains of schizophrenia, improved acceptance by patients, better adherence to medication, safety in psychoses in demented patients, and avoiding cardiac and metabolic adverse effects. The first completely novel mechanisms evolving from our insights into the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders, especially the role of glutamatergic mechanisms in schizophrenia, are now under development, and further principles are on the horizon. This situation, in many respects similar to that when the initial second-generation antipsychotics became available, can be rewarding for all. Preclinical and clinical researchers now have the opportunity to confirm their hypotheses and the pharmaceutical industry may be able to develop really novel classes of therapeutics.

When we were approached by the publishers of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology to prepare a new volume on antipsychotics, our intention was to capture both, the accumulated preclinical and clinical knowledge about current antipsychotics as well as prospects for new and potentially more specific antischizophrenia principles. These efforts should be based on the pathophysiology of the diseases and the affected neurotransmitter systems. Since preclinical research on antipsychotic compounds is only reliable when intimately linked through translational aspects to clinical results, we decided to include clinical science as well. It turned out that that this endeavor could not be covered by a single volume. We thank the editorial board and the publishers for supporting our decision to prepare two volumes: Current Antipsychotics and Novel Antischizophrenia Treatments. These topics cannot really be separated from one another and should be seen as a composite entity despite the somewhat arbitrary separation of contributions into two volumes. The continuing challenges of developing improved and safer antipsychotic medications remain of concern and are discussed in the first volume. The new opportunities for the field to develop and license adjunctive treatments for the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits that are treated inadequately by existing compounds have been incentivized recently and provide the focus for the second volume. We hope these collective contributions will facilitate the development of improved treatments for the full range of symptomatology seen in the group of schizophrenias and other major psychotic disorders.

Gerhard Gross, Ludwigshafen, Germany

Mark A. Geyer, La Jolla, CA

This volume will try to put current therapy - achievements, shortcomings, remaining medical needs - and emerging new targets into the context of increasing knowledge regarding the genetic and neurodevelopmental contributions to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Some of the chapters will also deal with respective experimental and clinical methodology, biomarkers, and translational aspects of drug development. Non-schizophrenia indications will be covered to some extent, but not exhaustively."

This book continues as volume 2 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers edible fruits/seeds used fresh or processed, as vegetables, spices, stimulants, pulses, edible oils and beverages. It encompasses species from the following families: Clusiaceae, Combretaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Dilleniaceae, Ebenaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Ericaceae and Fabaceae. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, herbalogists, conservationists, teachers, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy (botanical name and synonyms); common English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agro-ecological requirements; edible plant part and uses; botany; nutritive and medicinal/pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and current research findings; non-edible uses; and selected/cited references.

The past 6 years since the first edition of this book have seen great progress in the development of genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of cancer. These models are finding an important role in furthering our understanding of the biology of malignant disease. A comfortable position for GEM models in the routine conduct of screening for potential new therapeutics is coming more slowly but is coming. Increasing numbers of genetically engineered mice are available, some with conditional activation of oncogenes, some with multiple genetic changes providing mouse models that are moving closer to the human disease.

The inducible isoforms of the enzymes cyclooxygenase (COX 2), nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) have generated great interest as possible therapeutic targets in inflammation. This book is the first publication to address the importance of all three enzymes and the consequences of their interactions to the inflammatory process. The book brings together overviews by leading researchers in the field of the current status of knowledge of COX, NOS and HO in inflammation. These overviews cover a series of new concepts in the mechanism of inflammation. Topics include inducible enzyme involvement in inflammatory processes including the role in vascular permeability, leukocycte migration, granuloma formation, angiogenesis, neuroinflammation and algesia. New findings from transgenic animal models are reviewed. Other chapters address the importance of these enzymes in inflammatory disease states including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis. The possibility of selective inhibitors or inducers of COX, NOS and HO, and their use in the clinic is discussed. The subject matter of this book is of interest to rheumatologists, pathologists, pharmacologists, neuroscientists and anyone with an academic interest in the mechanisms of inflammation.

More than 70 years have elapsed since U. S. von Euler and I. H. Gaddum dis- covered an unidentified depressor substance in the brain and gut. The effects of the powdery extracts were marked as 'P' on the kymograph tracings, and the nondescript name of 'substance P' still carries the breath of this adventurous period. In the 1960s, substance P returned in another disguise, staging as a hypothalamic peptide that causes copious salivary secretion (see chapter by F. Lembeck and I. Donnerer). This time, though, the mysterious substance was tracked down by S. E. Leeman and her collaborators as an undecapeptide, after it had eluded its identification for some 40 years. Substance P turned out to be the mammalian counterpart of a family of peptides which had been extracted from amphibian and nonvertebrate species and which had been given the name 'tachykinins' by V. Erspamer. Soon novel members of this peptide family were discovered, and in mammals substance P was joined by neurokinin A and neu- rokinin B. The presence of tachykinins in frog skin as well as in venoms and toxins of microbes and arachnids raises the possibility that these peptides re- present an old system of biological weapons that have been transformed to a particular messenger system in mammals.

An increasing number of exercise scientists are applying their skills collaboratively (with medics and physiotherapists) to clinical populations and investigating the effects of exercise in relation to wide-ranging clinical, pathophysiological and psycho-social outcomes. The book is aimed at final year Undergraduate and Master's level students of Exercise Science, who are interested in working with clinical populations such as cancer patients. Many university Sport and Exercise Science courses in the UK and USA now have modules which are focused on exercise for health, and cover aspects of exercise science which are appropriate for clinical populations. The book would also be a very valuable resource for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Physiotherapy courses and a very useful resource for students of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, as well as practitioners working with cancer patients.There are an increasing amount of research opportunities for exercise scientists who are interested in working with clinical populations. Furthermore, a considerable amount of Government and Charity research funding is being targeted at active lifestyles and this is helping to generate a new culture of collaboration between exercise scientists and medics. Hence, it is highly likely that an increasing number of students from Sport and Exercise Science courses will pursue careers within the clinical realm in the future. Practicing exercise therapists, clinical exercise physiologists and physiotherapists would also find lots of useful up-to-date knowledge to support their evidence-based clinical practice. This book would also be of interest to informed readers who are themselves undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment.

In Handbook of Drug Monitoring Methods: Therapeutics and Drug Abuse, authors discuss the different analytical techniques used in todaya (TM)s practice of therapeutic drug monitoring and drugs of abuse as well as alcohol testing with relevant theory, mechanism, and in-depth scientific discussion on each topic. This volume is the perfect handbook and quick reference for any clinical laboratory, allowing clinicians to find the potential source of a false-positive or a false-negative result in the daily operation of a toxicology laboratory. At the same time, this book can also be used as a reference for medical technologists, supervisors, laboratory directors, clinical chemists, toxicologists, and pathologists to find in-depth cause of a potential interference and what tests can be ordered to circumvent such problem. The volumea (TM)s first half focuses on various issues of therapeutic drug monitoring. Additional chapters cover analysis of heavy metals, alcohol testing, and issues of drugs of abuse testing. These chapters are written by experts in their relative sub-specialties and also by the editor. Comprehensive and timely, Handbook of Drug Monitoring Methods: Therapeutics and Drug Abuse is the ideal text for clinicians and researchers monitoring alcohol and drug testing and other important tasks of toxicological laboratory services.

This timely book provides an overview of natural products/botanicals used for the management of insect-pest and diseases. It will help readers to update and widen their knowledge about natural products and their bio-activities against plant pathogens. The volume explores activity, chemistry, toxicity and geographic distribution of plants. Discussions concerning the methodology used for the detection of active principles, their mode of action and commercial prospects are of utmost importance and worthy of note.
* Focuses on recent achievements in natural bio-actives
* Global coverage of natural products / plants
* Targets the most important issues of natural botanicals/ biocides
* Includes innovative ideas with lucid explanations
* Contains specialized chapters, such as, natural control of multi-drug resistant organisms, anti-salmonella agents, natural house-dust-mite control agents, and naturally occurring anti-insect proteins, etc.
* Covers research on bioactives: From Lab to Field and Field to Market
* Includes eco-friendly and economically viable herbal technology

Due to the rapid and steady growth of available low-cost computer power, the use of computers for discovering and designing new drugs is becoming a central topic in modern molecular biology and medicinal chemistry. In Computational Drug Discovery and Design: Methods and Protocols expert researchers in the field provide key techniques to investigate biomedical applications for drug developments based on computational chemistry. These include methods and techniques from binding sites prediction to the accurate inclusion of solvent and entropic effects, from high-throughput screening of large compound databases to the expanding area of protein-protein inhibition, toward quantitative free-energy approaches in ensemble-based drug design using distributed computing. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, reference to software and open source analysis tools, step-by-step, readily reproducible computational protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and intuitive, Computational Drug Discovery and Design: Methods and Protocols aids scientists in the continuing study of state-of-the-art concepts and computer-based methodologies.

The book explores cutting-edge strategies to overcome proteasome inhibitor resistance, including the second generation 20S proteasome inhibitors, novel combinational therapies, and new targets in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (e.g., ubiquitin E3 ligases, deubiquitinases, 19S proteasomal ATPases, histone deacetylases, oxidative stress and proteotoxic stress pathways and pharmacogenomic signature profiling) in resistant cancer cells. The mechanisms of action and resistance of proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib and carfilzomib in human cancers, including multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, acute leukemia, and solid tumors are explored in depth in this volume.

This timely volume unveils the most current discoveries of the mechanisms behind proteasome inhibitor resistance, which will help illuminate the future of cancer therapies.

Scientific interest in regulatory T cells has revived during the last decade. Initially described in the early seventies as suppressor T cells, the concept of suppressor/regulatory T cells went through turbulent times during the eighties when molecular analysis failed to identify putative suppressor genes. The constructive and elegant cellular experiments on regulatory T cells during the nineties, initiated by Shimon Sakaguchi and co-workers, however have brought these cells back into the limelight. Nowadays, regulatory T cells are regarded as essential components of the immune system, and several different subsets of regulatory T cells have been described. Considerable regulatory function has been attributed to the CD4+CD25+ T cell subset. These cells act by suppressing adaptive and possibly also innate immune responses thereby maintaining or restoring the balance between immunity and tolerance. The suppressive effects of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells are cell-contact dependent but a role for soluble factors, particularly in vivo, has been suggested as well.
The aim of this book is to bring together recent developments and viewpoints in the field of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells and to discuss the potential use of regulatory T cells in immunotherapy of inflammatory diseases. By linking data on regulatory T cells from experimental models with recent findings from the clinic, this topical book will be of interest to immunologists and other biomedical researchers as well as clinicians that are interested in regulation and manipulation of the immune response during (chronic) inflammatory disease.

The treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex challenge. This book provides comprehensive, scientific coverage of the numerous different types of drugs that are used to treat ADHD, and it examines the historical, sociological, and policy-related factors involved in the use of ADHD medications. A national study indicated that 11 percent of U.S. children and teens were diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2011-a figure 43 percent higher than in 2003. The incidence of ADHD diagnoses among females has also increased significantly. For the millions of Americans of all ages who are diagnosed with ADHD, the proper treatment of this disorder is critically important. ADHD Medications: History, Science, and Issues provides readers with the complete story of ADHD drugs. The book discusses the pharmacological basis of the effects of these powerful drugs; examines the myriad social dimensions of the use, misuse, and abuse of these substances; and identifies the range of issues that affect the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD. After an introductory case study of an individual with ADHD and this individual's problems and successes with ADHD medicines, this new book in the Story of a Drug series provides an overview of ADHD and its various symptoms, as well as the causes, prevalence, and diagnosis of ADHD. Various treatment approaches-including information about the many medications used-are discussed in detail, as well as other substances and alternative ways used to treat individuals with ADHD. Readers will also gain an understanding of neurotransmission and the specific mechanism of action of ADHD medications; the effects and applications of these drugs, plus their associated risks, misuse, and abuse; as well as related policy issues, with special focus on the controversial issues regarding ADHD drug scheduling (categorization). Provides broad background coverage of ADHD and of various types of drugs that can be used to treat symptoms of ADHD Explains how different types of ADHD medications work in the body Delves into issues and controversies related to ADHD medications, including their prescription to young children and recreational use by individuals without ADHD

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This book illustrates the current state-of-the-art in histamine research, with a focus on the appropriate methodologies to investigate the pharmacological properties and the therapeutic exploitation of HRs and their ligands. In addition, the range of techniques described provides an introduction to complementary cross-methodological disciplines beyond these fields. This multi-disciplinary approach is required to define the 'decision gates' that determine the development of more effective and safer therapeutic options for many forms of highly prevalent and debilitating diseases, such as asthma, dementias, dermatitis, and arthritis. Written for the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, chapters concentrate on practical, hands-on protocols from experts in the techniques. Authoritative and thorough, Histamine Receptors as Drug Targets seeks to aid pharmacologists, biochemists, drug discovery researchers, molecular biologists, chemists, toxicologists, lab scientists, medical doctors, principle investigators, research scientists, lab directors and technicians, as well as graduate students around the world in pursuing the study of this vital scientific area.