This thesis reports on essential advances in the design, synthesis and biomedical applications of multifunctional Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs). It provides several examples of multifunctional MSN-based drug delivery nanosystems and demonstrates successful synergistic cancer therapies combining MSNs and high-intensity focused ultrasound. The book will especially be of interest to researchers and graduate students in the fields of biomaterials, biology, chemistry, medicine and the life sciences who are working to develop new methods and technologies to combat cancer.

This book outlines risk assessments for 28 diseases and medical conditions including the following aspects: genetics, biochemistry, serology, past medical history, family history, co-morbidities, age, gender, ethnicity, nutrition and lifestyle. Recommendations are made for how to avoid, eliminate or mitigate risks. Preventing measures concerning chemical compound intake, lifestyle and nutrition are proposed. The unique content and approach of the book to chronic disease management make it a state-of-the-art reference work, addressing a missing component of medical care and reflecting the cutting edge of preventive medicine.

Renal Cancer: Contemporary Management provides a state of the art overview of the major topics in the field of kidney cancer. The material has been collected from the most current evidence based resources to allow for the appropriate care of these patients. The sections of the book have been structured to give an overview of the major issues dealing with renal cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma of the kidney. The text also reviews the new staging system, discusses familial syndromes of renal cell carcinoma, and provides new perspectives with regard to imaging and managing renal tumors. A valuable resource for physicians and researchers dealing with renal cancer, Renal Cancer: Contemporary Management provides a comprehensive summary of the field that will guide patient management and stimulate further clinical and basic science research efforts.

This practical manual presents the main drugs and protocols currently used in the psychopharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders in cancer and palliative care settings and explores the principal issues involved in such treatment. Significant clinical challenges encountered in the psychopharmacological management of various psychiatric conditions are discussed, covering aspects such as side-effects and drug-drug interactions. Attention is also paid to the emerging theme of adjuvant use of psychotropic drugs for the treatment of symptoms or syndromes not primarily related to psychiatric disorders. In addition, practical suggestions are provided for dealing with special populations, including children and the elderly. The book is designed to be easy to read and to reference, with helpful concise tables and boxes. The authors include some of the most renowned clinicians working in the field of psycho-oncology.

The imbalance between rapidly proliferating tumor cells and inadequate and inefficient tumor vasculature leads to a decrease in oxygen levels (hypoxia and/or anoxia) in tumor tissues. Intra-tumor hypoxia profoundly affects the biological behavior of cancer cells, which become resistant to conventional therapies and acquire a more invasive and metastatic phenotype. Hypoxia is a hallmark of the malignant phenotype and a key feature of the tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of the transcriptional response to oxygen deprivation. HIF triggers the expression of genes whose products induce angiogenesis, decrease oxygen consumption, switch metabolism to glycolysis, maintain a stem cell phenotype and select for more invasive and metastatic cells. Therapeutic approaches targeting HIF, directly or downstream mediators of its transcriptional activity, are being developed. Intra-tumor hypoxia is a topic has been gaining scientific interest over the last few years for its wide involvement in many physiological and pathological processes. This volume will cover the latest research and translational aspects associated with intra-tumor hypoxia, along with opportunities for drug development offered by this unique feature of the tumor microenvironment. The ongoing efforts to translate our understanding of the biology underlying intra-tumor hypoxia in viable therapeutic options face many challenges, but this book will provide an opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the fundamental mechanisms implicated in the adaption to low oxygen levels and will scrutinize the potential for opportunities that are being pursued in both research and the drug development industry.

This critical review volume explores the theme of ABC transporters in the context of basic cancer research and its role in drug-resistant tumors. The chapters provided complement basic research by including investigations from translational applications to clinical oncology. The development of resistance is a major obstacle in cancer chemotherapy and the field has been moving rapidly in terms of determining the mechanisms for blocking ABC transporter-mediated drug efflux by specific inhibitors and thereby overcoming multidrug resistance. The volume covers these issues in careful detail. Additional topics include the relevance of ABC transporters in resistance to novel and established anticancer drugs and prognosis of patients to compounds, compounds used in photodynamic therapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and others. Furthermore, the potential of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis of multidrug-resistant tumors and of nanotechnology to combat drug-resistant tumors is also discussed.

Volume 11 in this series discusses therapeutic applications of stem cells in disease and tissue injury. Coverage includes pluripotent stem cells, which can give rise to the endodermal, ectodermal, and mesodermal lineages; multipotent stem cells, which can generate all cells in a particular lineage and unipotent stem cells, which can give rise to only one cell type. This volume also examines cancer stem cells, tumor-initiating cells which possesses the capacity of self-renewal and can give rise to the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor. Coverage extends to molecular mechanisms underlying the derivation and expansion of human embryonic stem cells, the role of specific proteins in the maintenance and inhibition of extraembryonic differentiation of these cells and the role of signaling responsible for the self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells. Nine chapters discuss the clinical importance of cancer stem cells, encompassing glioma, leukemia, ovarian cancer, pediatric sarcomas and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The role of cancer stem cells is also elucidated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in spreading head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The book goes on to survey therapeutic application of stem cells of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic origin for regeneration of bones, including in osteoporotic bone disease; to illuminate the application of hematopoietic stem cells in bone regeneration and to discuss their use as a biomarker to facilitate determination of a treatment. The contributors review cells as biomarkers for pediatric solid tumors, and weigh the advantages and limitations of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Also included are details of neural stem cell engraftment in the injured spinal cord; the regenerative potential of neural stem/progenitor cells of newborns and cancer gene therapy potential using neural stem cells. Like the preceding volumes in the series, this book is distinguished for its comprehensive approach, its distinguished roster of 58 contributors representing 10 different countries and its thorough review of leading-edge technology and methods.

Pharmaceutical Perspectives of Cancer Therapeutics covers a wide variety of therapeutic approaches including gene therapy, immunological therapy; cancer vaccines; strategy for solid tumors as well as for hematological cancers; methods to suppress tumor angiogenesis and metastasis; development and utilization of relevant animal models; introduction of new concepts such as cancer stem cells and new technologies, such as DNA and tissue microarrays; and RNA interference. In addition, clinical application, the development of DNA diagnosis biomarkers and cancer prevention, as well as the utilization of imaging in cancer therapy are also discussed. The use of synthetic carriers, such as lipids, polymers, and peptides for delivery and targeting of small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids to cancer cells in vivo are discussed. Pharmaceutical Perspectives of Cancer Therapeutics also includes cancer therapy modality in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as in combination or multi-modality, giving our book a more focused view of cancer therapy.

Research on oncogenic viruses and related human cancers has advanced rapidly in the past decade. Most articles, however, focus on a specific oncogenic virus and cancer. There is consequently a need for a comprehensive, up-to-date monograph that offers broad and integrated knowledge. Viruses and Human Cancer - From Basic Science to Clinical Prevention is designed to meet this need by providing an advanced overview on the basic and clinical aspects of oncogenic viruses and the human cancers that they cause. Virology, virus-induced inflammation and tissue injuries, oncogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, and current and emerging preventive and therapeutic strategies are all discussed in detail. In addition, the book covers the individual aspects of seven oncogenic viruses, i.e., hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human papilloma virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human T-cell lymphotropic virus, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus, and Merkel cell polyomavirus, and the related human cancers.

Since the discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) some twenty years ago by Victor Ambros, David Baulcombe and Gary Ruvkun, these three scientists worked to uncover the mystery of miRNA, the small segments of nucleotides that silence genes. While studying the development of the nematode worm, Ambros and Ruvkun discovered miRNA in animals, while Baulcombe discovered it in plants. Since their discovery, it took more than two decade to fully appreciate the value of miRNA in human health and diseases. Emerging evidence suggest that the activation of oncogenes and/or the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes contribute to the development and progression of tumors. The regulation of genes is by far controlled by many transcription factors which are often deregulated during the development and progression of cancer. In addition, emerging evidence clearly suggests that the deregulation of miRNAs or small non-coding RNAs could also regulate the expression of genes and likewise, miRNA genes are also regulated by transcription factors. The most attractive feature of miRNAs is that one miRNA can regulate many target genes (mRNAs) and thus miRNA targeted therapy is highly promising because multiple genes could be regulated by targeting a single miRNA, which becomes very important for the killing of highly heterogeneous populations of cancer cells within a tumor mass. Therefore, miRNA targeted therapy is an attractive attribute of miRNA research, which is covered through eighteen chapters complied in this book "MicroRNA targeted Cancer therapy" and it is hoped that the field of miRNA research will be appreciated through critical reading of these chapters on the cutting-edge research on miRNAs.

Cytogenetic studies of malignancy have become an essential tool in the clinical management of cancer patients. Cancer Cytogenetics: Methods and Protocols presents eminently practical key cytogenetic and FISH techniques for every stage of diagnostic service. Experts in the field describe detailed cytogenetic analysis methods, fluorescence in situ hybridization and array methods currently being applied to investigate and diagnose different varieties of cancer. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, and step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols. The authors of the various chapters have also provided extensive notes to guide individuals who are new to these methods through the pitfalls that bedevil all such testing. Authoritative and accessible, Cancer Cytogenetics: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to scientists of all backgrounds, allowing them to either establish new techniques in their laboratories or find the different variations of standard methods helpful in improving their results.

The book presents the overview of the current knowledge in some fields of vascular biology, addressing cellular and molecular aspects of blood-vessel formation and their role in health and disease. The major factors involved in the formation of blood vessels are presented by scientists actively involved in this area of research. Special emphasis is put on the presentation of various molecular mechanisms not addressed in similar works to date. The book is divided into three parts. The first part describes the cells and mediators in angiogenesis. The significance of various populations of potential endothelial progenitors is particularly highlighted. The chapters of the second part focus on molecular mechanisms, with special emphasis on the role of hypoxia, gasotransmitters and reactive oxygen species as well as microRNAs in regulation of angiogenic processes. In the third part, the pathological aspects of disturbed - aggravated or impaired - vascularization are discussed and new modalities for potential therapies are presented. The book is intended for scientists and PhD students in the fields of vascular biology and cancer research. It may be of interest for medical professionals in the fields of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, oncology and rheumatoid arthritis.

This is a novel text that highlights the controversial areas in the management of gynecological cancers. None of the topics in this book have definitive answers; they represent the everyday decision-making facing gynecologists, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and other health professionals treating women with these conditions. This book is not to be used as a traditional textbook; it is a text that specialists and trainees will use to help them weigh up the arguments that exist in a variety of areas in the treatment of gynecological cancers. Each chapter will have two or more authors, selected either for their opposing views or for their ability to provide an opposite view or opinion to the other. The content will be evidence-based, illustrating contrasting evidence and scientific opinion in the literature. Each chapter will close on a summary indicating the direction of research needed to address the issues being discussed.

Countless medical researchers over the past century have been occupied by the search for a cure of cancer. So far, they have developed and implemented a wide range of treatment techniques, including surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy, antiangiogenic drugs, small molecule inhibitors, and oncolytic viruses. However, patterns of these treatments' effectiveness remain largely unclear, and a better understanding of how cancer therapies work has become a key research goal. Cancer Treatment in Silico provides the first in-depth study of approaching this understanding by modeling cancer treatments, both mathematically and through computer simulations. The main goal of this book is to help expose students and researchers to in silico methods of studying cancer. It is intended for both the applied mathematics and experimental oncology communities, as mathematical models are playing an increasingly important role to supplement laboratory biology in the fight against cancer. Written at a level that generally requires little technical background, the work will be a valuable resource for scientists and students alike.

The tumor environment is a dynamic network that includes cancer cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, extracellular matrix, cytokines and receptors. The aim of this book is to summarize the role of these components, especially immune cells, in tumor suppression and/or progression and describe in detail why tumor cells can survive and spread in spite of the antitumor response of immune cells. Since immunotherapy is an attractive approach to cancer therapy, this book also provides information on the two main strategies: monoclonal antibodies and adaptive T cell immunotherapy, with a focus on recent human clinical trials. The book provides a state-of-the-art, comprehensive overview of immune cells in cancer and is an indispensable resource for scientists and medical doctors working and/or lecturing in the field of cancer research and immunology.

The concept of cancer stem cells has great clinical implications. This is due to the fact that small subpopulations of these cells have been identified in a variety of neoplastic conditions ranging from solid tumors to liquid malignancies. Although there are some huge gaps in our current understanding of the role played by cancer stem cells in cancer biology, a growing body of evidence provides strong support for the principal functions of these cells in tumorigenesis. This has represented the potential of cancer stem cells in the development of novel and innovative tools for the treatment of metastatic tumors. This book aims to offer a broad framework for obtaining insight into the state-of-the-art knowledge on cancer stem cell biology and highlight the therapeutic implications of these cells in the future of clinical oncology.

This book presents an Assessment of Physical Sciences and Engineering Advances in Life Sciences and Oncology (APHELION) by a panel of experts. It covers the status and trends of applying physical sciences and engineering principles to oncology research in leading laboratories and organizations in Europe and Asia. The book elaborates on the six topics identified by the panel that have the greatest potential to advance understanding and treatment of cancer, each covered by a chapter in the book. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NIH in the US under a cooperative agreement with the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC).

MRI provides the best means of imaging the bone marrow directly and of non-invasively assessing its composition. Normal age-related bone marrow changes, alterations related to red marrow reconversion, and pathological bone marrow processes generally conform to certain patterns that reflect the underlying marrow changes and can be clearly recognized on MR images. In addition to conventional pulse sequences, advanced MRI techniques such as Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging depict marrow changes at the microvascular and cellular level respectively. This book provides radiologists with in-depth information on the MRI appearances of normal, abnormal and treated marrow following a structured, pattern-based approach. MRI findings for various diseases that affect the bone marrow, particularly those of a malignant nature, are presented in detail. MRI pattern recognition not only offers a systematic approach to image interpretation and diagnosis but also has prognostic implications with regard to some disease entities. Each chapter includes a wealth of high-quality images, together with Key Points summarizing the most important information. In addition to radiologists, practitioners with an interest in hematology and oncology will find this textbook-atlas to be a valuable resource for the latest, clinically relevant advances in bone marrow imaging.

The collection of chapters in this proceeding volume reflects the latest research presented at the Aegean meeting on Tumor Microenvironment and Cellular Stress held in Crete in Fall of 2012. The book provides critical insight to how the tumor microenvironment affects tumor metabolism, cell stemness, cell viability, genomic instability and more. Additional topics include identifying common pathways that are potential candidates for therapeutic intervention, which will stimulate collaboration between groups that are more focused on elucidation of biochemical aspects of stress biology and groups that study the pathophysiological aspects of stress pathways or engaged in drug discovery.

This book offers a comprehensive and inclusive insight into the history of prostate cancer and its sufferers. Until recently, little practical help could be offered for men afflicted with the devastating diseases of the genitourinary organs. This is despite complaints of painful urination from aging men being found in ancient medical manuscripts, despite the anatomical discoveries of the European Renaissance and despite the experimental surgical researches of the eighteen and nineteenth centuries. As diseases of the prostate, including prostate cancer, came to be better understood in the early twentieth century, therapeutic nihilism continued as curative radical surgeries and radiotherapy failed. The therapeutic 'turn' came with hormonal therapies, itself a product of the explosive growth of U.S. biomedicine from the 1940s onwards. By the 1990s, prostate cancer screening had become a somewhat ubiquitous but controversial feature of the medical encounter for American men as they aged, which greatly influenced the treatment pathways and identity of the male patient: as victim, as hero, and ultimately, as consumer.

This monograph, written by well renowned breast cancer expect, Dr. Jose Russo, provides new insight on the pathobiology of breast cancer from the most current advances in the field, translational research, initiation and progression of the disease, the mechanism of invasion and metastasis and the concept of stem cells in treatment and drug resistance. The role of personalized medicine and genomic testing are also explored, which will provide a window to the future progress of cancer care.

This long overdue title provides a comprehensive, up-to-date, state-of-the art review of approved biologic therapies, with coverage of mechanisms of action, Indications for therapy, immunogenicity and a detailed examination of adverse effects and safety of the many and diverse therapeutic agents presented in a total of 13 chapters. It is predicted that by 2016, biologics will make up half of the world's 20 top-selling drugs and by 2018, biologic medicine sales will account for almost half of the world's 100 biggest selling drugs. Recombinant proteins dominate the growing list of the more than 200 approved biotherapeutic agents with targeted antibodies, fusion proteins and receptors; cytokines; hormones; enzymes; proteins involved in blood-clotting, homeostasis and thrombosis; vaccines; botulinum neurotoxins; and, more recently, biosimilar preparations, comprising the majority of approved biologics. Written with clinicians, other health care professionals, and researchers in mind, Safety of Biologics Therapy examines, in a single volume, the full range of issues surrounding the safety of approved biologic therapies. A good understanding of the risks and safety issues of modern biologics therapy is increasingly being demanded of all those connected with their development, handling, prescribing, administration and subsequent patient management. In addition to being of great value to clinicians in all branches of medicine, and to nurses, pharmacists and researchers, this book will prove invaluable for students taking undergraduate and graduate courses in the above disciplines and in the biomedical sciences.

This edited reflects the current state of knowledge about the role of microRNAs in the formation and progression of solid tumours. The main focus lies on computational methods and applications, together with cutting edge experimental techniques that are used to approach all aspects of microRNA regulation in cancer. We are sure that the emergence of high-throughput quantitative techniques will make this integrative approach absolutely necessary in the near future. This book will be a resource for researchers starting out with cancer microRNA research, but is also intended for the experienced researcher who wants to incorporate concepts and tools from systems biology and bioinformatics into his work. Bioinformaticians and modellers are provided with a general perspective on microRNA biology in cancer, and the state-of-the-art in computational microRNA biology.

Photodynamic Therapy: From Theory to Application brings attention to an exceptional treatment strategy, which until now has not achieved the recognition and breadth of applications it deserves. The authors, all experts and pioneers in their field, discuss the history and basic principles of PDT, as well as the fundamentals of the theory, methods, and instrumentation of clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Non-oncological applications such as the use of PDT in control of parasites and noxious insects are also discussed. This book serves as a standard reference for researchers and students at all levels, clinical specialists interested in the topic and those in industry exploring new areas for development. A comprehensive exposition of both the theory and application of PDT, this book fills the gaps in the current literature by bringing together both basic understanding of the process of PDT and an expanded vision of its applications.

The Springer Handbook of Enzymes provides concise data on some 5,000 enzymes sufficiently well characterized - and here is the second, updated edition. Their application in analytical, synthetic and biotechnology processes as well as in food industry, and for medicinal treatments is added. Data sheets are arranged in their EC-Number sequence. The new edition reflects considerable progress in enzymology: the total material has more than doubled, and the complete 2nd edition consists of 39 volumes plus Synonym Index. Starting in 2009, all newly classified enzymes are treated in Supplement Volumes.