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Books > Medicine > Clinical & internal medicine > Diseases & disorders > Oncology > General
Prominin-1 or otherwise known as CD133 is a glycoprotein that is
present in humans and mice. Since the first description of prominin
in 1997, in mouse neuroepithelial cells and in human hematopoietic
stem cells as AC133 antigen, this molecule has aroused a large
interest especially, as a stem cell marker, that gave rise to an
ever growing body of publications and more recently its expression
in cancer stem cells. Controversies as to its role as a cancer stem
and its detection in different models, as well as its use as a
prognostic marker have emerged. Yet, beyond its use as a stem cell
and cancer stem cell marker, prominin-1/CD133 displays unique
biological features and appears of importance in other processes
like for example in retinal biogenesis. Indeed, this
five-transmembrane plasma membrane glycoprotein, which marks
membrane protrusions is associated with several essential processes
like cell polarity, asymmetric cell division and membrane
remodeling. We propose to review current knowledge about this
intriguing molecule and present pertinent information to determine
the biological role of prominins and assess their importance in
medicine and cancer research. The primary audience for this book is
geared towards scientists and researchers with interest in cancer
stem cells, stem cells, cell biology, neurobiology, and
regenerative medicine.
Metastasis is the primary cause of mortality associated with
cancer, and tumor genomic heterogeneity is a likely source for the
cells that support cancer progression, resistance to therapy, and
disease relapse. This book connects cancer metastasis with genomic
instability in a comprehensive manner. Section 1 outlines the
fundamental mechanisms responsible for these cellular and tissue
phenotypes. Section 2 discusses in silico, in vitro, and in vivo
models used for the experimental study of these processes. Section
3 reviews emerging themes (ex., microenvironment,
mechanotransduction, and immunomodulation), and Section 4
highlights new therapeutic approaches to overcome the unique
challenges presented by the heterogeneous and metastatic tumor.
This book is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates with an
interest in the areas of medicine, oncology, and cancer biology as
well as for the content expert searching for thorough reviews of
current knowledge in these areas.
Over 50 years, children with cancer changed from being symbols of
hopelessness and the failure of modern medicine, to representing
the triumph of science, fund raising, and personal heroism. Yet
before 1940, children with cancer were largely invisible, to the
medical professions and to the public at large. This book, written
for historians and medical professionals interested in the history
of child health, examines these transitions in visibility, image
and expectation, and the impact of these changes on self-identity
for patient and physician.
This volume is based on the Workshop on Systems Biology of Tumor
Dormancy meeting, held July 25th to July 28th, 2011. The first
annual CCSB workshop brought together biologists, clinicians,
mathematicians, and computer scientists to discuss various aspects
of tumor dormancy and develop novel mathematical/computational
models with the keynote speakers. Specific topics included the
angiogenic switch, immune system interactions, cancer stem cells
and signaling.
The study of medical history is interesting in itself and may help
to modify the view sometimes expressed that medical students and
doctors are lacking in culture of any sort. Moreover, some
historical perspective is often advantageous when one is
considering the multitude of advances that are now taking place in
the theory and practice of medicine. This book, containing a series
of collected papers concerning immunology and pathology and
vascular biology and angiogenesis, drives us through scientific
milestones in the history of medicine in the course of the past two
centuries and highlights the contribution of pioneering scientists
whose discoveries have paved the way to many researchers working in
the fields of cell biology, developmental biology, immunology,
pathology, and oncology. This book will serve as a resource for
scientists, historians of medicine and philosophers of science and
medicine.
This book will provide the latest advances in molecular and
cellular biology for establishing the foundation of a complete
understanding of the mechanisms of breast differentiation leading
to cancer prevention. The authors are based on the epidemiological
evidence indicating that early first full term pregnancy is a
protective factor in human against breast cancer and they have used
this paradigm and developed experimental systems in both in vivo
and in vitro that have demonstrated mechanistically how the
differentiation at the organ and cellular level takes place. This
knowledge has provided the blueprint for developing better
understanding of the basis of cancer prevention. The transcriptoma
analysis of the breast of pre and post-menopausal women has
established a genomic signature imprinted in the breast that
differs according to the reproductive history of the woman showing
that early first full term pregnancy reprogram the organ. This
reprogramming takes place at the chromatin level by changing the
transcriptional process. The modification of the transcriptional
control is due to the expression of non coding RNA sequences and
posttranscriptional control driven by the splicesome. The
plasticity of the genome of the human breast make possible this
reprogramming that is not only induced by the physiological process
of pregnancy but by the use of hormones that mimic pregnancy
without pregnancy. The author have established the basis of
clinical trials for prevention and the discovery that short 15aa
peptides of the chorionic gonadotropin hormone can be used in human
breast cancer prevention based on preclinical and clinical data.
This volume will cover the natural products as they relate to
cancer chemotherapy. The topics will include history and current
status , recent launches, new clinical candidates and approved
drugs directly derived from natural products, current and future
cancer target opportunities for natural products, leveraging
natural products as tools for new target generation , new
approaches to cancer drug discovery through natural products based
lead generation, and enabling technologies which leverage the
unique attributes of natural products.
Despite the advances in conventional, novel agent and high dose
chemotherapy multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable. In order to
overcome resistance to current therapies and improve patient
outcome, novel biologically-based treatment approaches are being
developed. Current translational research in MM focusing on the
development of molecularly-based combination therapies has great
promise to achieve high frequency and durable responses in the
majority of patients. Two major advances are making this goal
possible. First, recent advances in genomics and proteomics in MM
have allowed for increased understanding of disease pathogenesis,
identified novel therapeutic targets, allowed for molecular
classification, and provided the scientific rationale for combining
targeted therapies to increase tumor cell cytotoxicity and abrogate
drug resistance. Second, there is now an increased understanding of
how adhesion of MM cells in bone marrow (BM) further impacts gene
expression in MM cells, as well as in BM stromal cells (BMSCs). As
a result of these advances in oncogenomics on the one hand and
increased understanding of the role of the BM in the pathogenesis
of MM on the other, a new treatment paradigm targeting the tumor
cell and its BM microenvironment to overcome drug resistance and
improve patient outcome has now been developed. Thalidomide,
lenalidomide, and Bortezomib are three agents which target the
tumor cell in its microenvironment in both laboratory and animal
models and which have rapidly translated from the bench to the
bedside. Ongoing efforts are using oncogenomics and cell signaling
studies to identify next generation of therapies in MM on the one
hand, and to inform the design of combination trials on the other.
This new paradigm for overcoming drug resistance and improving
patient outcome in MM has great promise not only to change the
natural history of MM, but also to serve as a model for targeted
therapeutics directed to improve outcome of patients with MM.
The book covers the complete field of testis cancer including the
germ cell tumors and the stromal tumors, from epidemiology to new
chemotherapeutic agents and schedules, throughout genetic features,
risk factors, risk adapted treatments, role of different types of
surgery and special clinical situations. Special attention is
focused on fertility issues, late effects of the primary therapy
and the economical aspects of the different treatment policies. As
a result of the third Consensus Conference, a consensual follow-up
can be devised and a chapter dedicated to this controversial and
not yet defined matter. This book is the state-of-the-art reference
text on testis cancer and is an essential resource for all
urologists, medical oncologists and radio-oncologists.
This book would combine chapters written by the most qualified
authors around the world whose research encompasses the effect of
morphine or other opioids on tumor growth and metastasis. This
includes clinicians involved in trials determining which type of
post surgical pain management can minimize the risk of recurrence
or metastasis, researchers working on animal models and studying
the effect of morphine on tumors, and most importantly the
mechanism for this effect, and lastly cell biologists. There is
currently a lot of research going on trying to reconcile the pro-
and anti-cancer aspects of opioids actions.
Biologics have revolutionised the treatment of many severe
conditions, delivering exceptional clinical results but also
producing exceptionally high prices. As patents expire, copies and
price competition are expected throughout the world. However, due
to the intrinsic heterogeneity and molecular complexity of biologic
medicinal products, their copies cannot simply be authorized under
the "generic rule" valid for small chemical entities. In response,
a dedicated regulation was issued in the European Union. It is
based on the concept of "biological medicinal products similar to a
biological reference product", or "biosimilars". This book analyses
the context of biotechnological production and addresses the
European legal framework for biosimilar market approval. It
highlights post-market authorisation issues, such as Risk
Management Plans and substitution of products, and outlines some
other issues, such as cost management and international
nomenclature. This book is primarily intended for hospital-based
physicians and pharmacists. It will also be a valuable resource for
all actors from all countries who want to better understand the
emergence of these new medicinal products within the European
context.
Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis have become attractive targets
for drug therapy because of their key roles in a broad spectrum of
pathological disease states ranging from macular degeneration to
tumor growth and metastasis. A substantial increase in the research
effort over the past decade has deepened our understanding of the
basic mechanisms underlying angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis,
promoting the development of promising therapeutics for the
clinical management of vascular-related diseases. These
extraordinary advancements have been built upon a vast array of
diverse analytical techniques developed globally throughout the
field. Over the years, these methods have evolved to suit the
specific needs of different researchers and experimental scenarios,
resulting in a myriad of technical variants of basic assay
approaches. "The Textbook of Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis:
Methods and Applications" is an up-to-date comprehensive textbook
on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis techniques and applications.
This volume is designed to embody the collective works of experts
in the clinical as well as the basic research arenas who have
significantly contributed to the development and application of
techniques in all areas of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Each
chapter introduces and discusses one or a group of closely related
techniques and convey step-by-step protocol information and
detailed technical guidance to the reader. Emphasis has been placed
on explanatory illustrations, critical technical steps as well as
divulging information on the benefits and caveats of specific
practices related to the methods discussed. This manual is intended
to serve as a written guide for both newcomers and established
professionals in the field.
A key goal in the treatment of cancer is to achieve selective and
efficient killing of tumor cells. The aim of Cell Death Signaling
in Cancer Biology and Treatment is to describe state-of-the-art
approaches and future opportunities for achieving this goal by
targeting mechanisms and pathways that regulate cancer cell death.
In this book, molecular defects in cell death signaling that
characterize cancer cells, including dysregulation of cell death
due to overexpression/hyperactivation of oncoproteins, as well as
the loss of tumor suppressor proteins will be described. The
potential for targeting microRNAs will be discussed. Multiple
chapters will describe preclinical and clinical approaches that are
currently being used to target epigenetic modifications, DNA repair
pathways, and protein chaperones, as a means of provoking tumor
cell death. Finally, the development and application of novel
agents and approaches for targeting specific components of cell
death signaling pathways and machinery will be reviewed.
As our understanding of apoptotic pathway expands, we are coming to
realize the great potential of utilizing this pathway to treat
diseases such as cancer. The book attempts to review, summarize,
and speculate on the apoptotic pathways, how are they regulated and
how targeted therapies are being used to treat a wide variety of
diseases. Special emphasis is placed on cancer since new treatments
either being developed or currently in the clinical setting are
showing great promise to increase survival rates for cancer
patients. Chapters will address the biology behind regulating the
apoptotic pathways and what goes wrong in disease states whereas
other chapters will concentrate on new therapies targeting
apoptotic pathways. The reader by the end of the book should have
greater insight into the understanding and utilization of apoptotic
pathways to fight diseases such as cancer.
The concept of using bispecific antibodies for cancer therapy by
retargeting immune effector cells was developed several years ago.
Initial clinical studies were rather disappointing mainly due to
low efficacy, severe side effects and the immunogenicity of the
bispecific antibodies. The progress in antibody engineering finally
led to the generation of new classes of bispecific antibodies
lacking these obstacles. In addition, new applications were
established, such as pre-targeting strategies in radioimmunotherapy
and dual targeting approaches in order to improve binding,
selectivity and efficacy. In this book, the different ways of
generating bispecific antibodies are described, with emphasis on
recombinant formats. The various applications of bispecific
antibodies, e.g. in cellular cancer immunotherapy,
radioimmunotherapy and pretargeting strategies are covered, and
emerging applications such as dual targeting strategies, which
involve the simultaneous inhibition of two targets, are addressed.
This book is intended as a reference manual that will provide the
busy clinician with up-to-date information on the diagnosis and
treatment of uncommon and rare gynecological cancers. While
standard textbooks briefly cover these tumors, this is intended as
a more comprehensive yet easy-to-use guide. After opening chapters
on epidemiology, pathology, and diagnostic imaging, the full range
of infrequently encountered gynecological cancers (ovarian,
uterine, cervical, vaginal, and vulval) is presented and discussed
with the aid of high-quality illustrations. In each case, detailed
attention is paid to both differential diagnosis and current
treatment options. The book has been written by an international
panel of experts and is the first to gather all the uncommon and
rare gynecological cancers together within one volume.
Chemotherapy has made a dramatic difference to improved survival in
patients with cancer. However, not all patients respond and some
experience serious side effects. "Pharmacogenetics: Making cancer
treatment safer and more effective" is an up to date summary of the
exciting new field of how genetic testing can tailor more effective
prescription in oncology. It is targeted at oncologists and
professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cancer. It
provides a core background in genetics and pharmacological
principles before providing chapters from acknowledged experts in
the field on genetic tests in specific cancer types, including
breast, bowel and lung cancer. Clinical cases are used to
illustrate the practical application of this knowledge. Chapters on
ethics, health economics and the industry aspects of
pharmacogenetics set out the challenges and opportunities afforded
by this new science.
The extravasation of cytotoxic agents can result in severe local
tissue damage and medical emergencies during tumour therapy. This
revised compendium is intended to help clinicians assess any
situation speedily and with certainty. The general section of the
book includes topics such as predisposition, prevention, type of
harm, general measures in handling extravasated drugs, specific
antidotes, and documentation. In the 2nd edition, the scientific
information contained in the general section and relating to the
actual substances has been updated. The substance specific part of
the book includes detailed instructions on handling more than 50
cytotoxic drugs, to initiate targeted measures. Templates for an
extravasation set, overview tables, documentation sheets, and
patient information, as we as a CD-ROM are included to support
clinical practice. The book is the outcome of a consensus of an
interdisciplinary working group that has collected and
systematically reviewed all published literature on the topic.
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