This detailed volume provides a collection of protocols for the study of miRNA functions in plants. Beginning with coverage of miRNA function, biogenesis, activity, and evolution in plants, the book continues by guiding readers through methods on the identification and detection of plant miRNAs, bioinformatic analyses, and strategies for functional analyses of miRNAs. Written in the highly 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 laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant MicroRNAs: Method and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital area of plant science.

The primary purpose of this book and its companion volume The Neuropharmacology of Nicotine Dependence is to explore the ways in which recent studies on nicotine and its role in tobacco addiction have opened our eyes to the psychopharmacological properties of this unique and fascinating drug. While the present volume considers the molecular and genetic factors which influence behavioral responses to nicotine and how these may impact on the role of nicotine in tobacco dependence, the book The Neuropharmacology of Nicotine Dependence focuses on the complex neural and psychological mechanisms that mediate nicotine dependence in experimental animal models and their relationship to tobacco addiction in humans. These volumes will provide readers with a contemporary overview of current research on nicotine psychopharmacology and its role in tobacco dependence from leaders in this field of research and will hopefully prove valuable to those who are developing their own research programmes in this important topic.

This book presents a collection of articles on various aspects of current research on aging. These include model systems, cellular, biochemical and molecular aspects of experimental aging research, as well as selected intervention studies on age-related diseases. Aging is a global challenge to human society. Children are always in a hurry to become adults, while adults produce offspring and add to the gene pool. However, after adulthood or the attainment of reproductive maturity, all physiological parameters of the living organism start to undergo the aging process. Old age sets in slowly but surely, and usually continues for a prolonged period. If vigor and vitality are the main advantages of adulthood, old age offers the rewards of experience and maturity. Biologists ask questions such as: Why do we age? How do we become old? Is it possible to slow down, postpone or even prevent aging? In turn, medical experts ask: What are the diseases associated with old age? Are there medicines that can help affected elderly patients? In fact both groups are asking themselves how can we add more health to old age. Healthy aging is the dream of every individual. But to achieve this, it is fundamental that we first understand the cellular, biochemical and molecular basis of the aging process in mammalian cells, tissues and intact living organisms, which can serve as experimental model systems in Biomedical Gerontology. Once the biology of aging is understood at the genetic and molecular levels, interventional approaches to aging and its associated diseases may be easier to plan and implement at the preclinical level.

Genotoxicity and DNA Repair: A Practical Approach provides a key reference for determining how to analyze the genotoxic activity of molecules or materials and, at the same time, serves as a useful tool for researchers in the Environmental Mutagenesis and DNA Repair fields. Focused on genotoxicity assays recommended by the "OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals", this volume also covers other useful assays, such as some gene mutation assays, the comet assay in different species and applications, and the SMART assays of Drosophila. For all the assays, the book presents brief theoretical introductions to the topics and updated standard and modified step-by-step protocols to perform them. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis of nanoparticles, including an integrative approach analysis. The DNA Repair section includes several assays that provide information on repair activity in vitro and in vivo, as well as recent applications to study DNA repair in humans, cell cultures, and animal models. As a volume in the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, the chapters contain the kind of detail and key implementation advice that ensures reproducible results in the lab. Authoritative and invaluable, Genotoxicity and DNA Repair: A Practical Approach aims to aid scientists in their pursuit of forwarding this vital field of study.

The volume provides a forum for original peer-reviewed short communications, full-length research and review articles on new research findings and developments on the topic of genetic targets on cancer therapies. As the field is highly important it requires co-operation between research communities from all over the world to share their knowledge and experience in order to move the field forward. Each chapter includes a discussion of the impact of the tumor microenvironment and cancer stem cells and cover current knowledge in this area as it pertains to the disease, including emerging therapy targeting the microenvironment and/or cancer stem cells.

The 3rd World Congress on Genetics, Geriatrics, and Neurodegenerative Disease Research (GeNeDis 2018), focuses on recent advances in genetics, geriatrics, and neurodegeneration, ranging from basic science to clinical and pharmaceutical developments. It also provides an international forum for the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, and care initiatives. Advanced information technologies are discussed, including the basic research, implementation of medico-social policies, and the European and global issues in the funding of long-term care for elderly people.

Fungal pathogens pose an on-going and serious threat for poikilotherms and homeotherms, and can cause a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from innocuous to life-threatening. In addition, long-term exposure to some mycotoxigenic moulds can lead to mycotoxicoses in human and animals. Given the expanding population of immune compromised hosts, the list of fungal opportunists grows longer every year. Moreover, antifungal resistance, drug-related toxicity and our limited arsenal of antifungals have exacerbated the situation. To address these problems, strategies such as the identification of novel targets, use of the structure-activity relationship in rational drug design, development of new formulations, modification of existing antifungals to combat resistance, and bioavailability enhancement are called for. For the reader's convenience, this book has been divided into three sections. The first six chapters of Section I provide a timely review of mycoses, from endemic to cosmopolitan and from generalized to specific, while both chapters of Section II focus on risks associated with mycotoxins. In closing, the two chapters of Section III describe potential antifungal leads and drug candidates based on phytochemicals and coumarin scaffold.

"Genomic Biomarkers for Pharmaceutical Development: Advancing Personalized Health Care" provides an in-depth review of the state of translational science across all stages of pharmaceutical development with a special focus on personalized health care. This book provides a complete picture of biomarker development and validation in a pharmaceutical setting while addressing the inherent challenges of targeting the appropriate indications, biomarker robustness, regulatory hurdles, commercialization and much more. It features case studies devoted to the applications of pharmacogenomics, toxicogenomics, and other genetic technologies as they support drug discovery and development.

With chapters written by international authorities in industry and academia, this work is a truly unique presentation of the thoughts and approaches that lead to the development of personalized medicine. Intended for all those involved in clinical translational research, this book is the ideal resource for scientists searching for the applications, strategies and successful approaches of translational science in pharmaceutical development.
Provides case studies in applications of pharmacodynamic and predictive markers in drug development in oncology, autoimmunity, respiratory diseases and infectious diseasesShows how to identify potential new therapeutic targets in different diseases and provides examples of potential new disease indications for life cycle management of drugsAuthored by leading international experts from industry and academia

Based on 30 years of clinical and research experience, backed by a careful assessment of four decades of published data, Dr. Faguet documented in The War on Cancer (Springer 2005), early advances in cancer treatment and patient survival that soon stalled. Ten years later and after an exhaustive analysis of evidence-based data available through 2013 that incorporates 755 references, he reveals the root causes of the stagnation in cancer control, including the role played by major stakeholders and advocates a coordinated national effort, akin to the Apollo program, to unveil the causes of cancer and their mastery. In the interim, Dr. Faguet urges caregivers to manage patients according to the four ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for patients' autonomy and justice especially at the end of life.

In 2015 the UK became the first country in the world to legalise mitochondrial donation, a controversial germ line reproductive technology to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disease. Dimond and Stephens track the intense period of scientific and ethical review, public consultation and parliamentary debates preceeding the decision. They draw on stakeholder accounts and public documents to explore how patients, professionals, institutions and publics mobilised within 'for' and 'against' clusters, engaging in extensive promissory, emotional, bureaucratic, ethical, embodied and clinical labour to justify competing visions of an ethical future. They describe how this decision is the latest iteration of a UK sociotechnical imaginary in which the further liberalization of human embryo research and use is rendered legitimate and ethical through modes of consultation and permissive but strictly regulated licensing. Overall, this book presents a timely, multi-dimensional, and sociological account of a globally significant landmark in the history of human genetics, and will be relevant to those with an interest in genetics, Science, Technology and Society, the sociology of medicine, reproductive technology, and public policy debate.

Since the discovery of microRNAs, developmental biologists have striven to understand the role of miRNAs in development and disease. MicroRNAs in Development: Methods and Protocols collects contributions from expert researchers in order to provide practical guidelines to this complex study. Divided into three convenient sections, this detailed volume covers various techniques to detect and profile miRNA expression, followed by protocols to manipulate the activity of miRNAs in various organisms, and it concludes with a section that outlines different methods to identify and validate miRNA targets in animals and plants. 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, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, MicroRNAs in Development: Methods and Protocols serves as a practical guide for scientists of all backgrounds and conveys the appropriate sense of fascination associated with this vital field of research.

This project follows on the success of the book "25 years of p53", published by Springer in 2006. Since this publication, there have been considerable advances on the potential application of p53 into the clinics. The goal of this book is to capture these developments and to appeal to a clinical and medical audience beyond the one which was the primary target of "25 years of p53".

This detailed volume presents a comprehensive technical overview of DNA nanotechnology with an emphasis on 3D DNA nanostructure design and applications. Coverage spans from basic design principles for DNA and RNA nanostructures to their cutting-edge applications in a variety of fields, with the book divided into basic DNA and RNA nanostructure design strategies as well as applications utilizing DNA nanostructures, including but not limited to nanomedicine, bioimaging, biosensing, nanoplasmonics, nanoelectronics, nanofabrication, crystallography, biophysics, and analytical chemistry. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include 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. Comprehensive and authoritative, 3D DNA Nanostructure: Methods and Protocols provides the most up-to-date tutorial style overviews and technical style protocols to benefit researchers in a wide variety of areas.

This book discusses a broad range of basic and advanced topics in the field of protein structure, function, folding, flexibility, and dynamics. Starting with a basic introduction to protein purification, estimation, storage, and its effect on the protein structure, function, and dynamics, it also discusses various experimental and computational structure determination approaches; the importance of molecular interactions and water in protein stability, folding and dynamics; kinetic and thermodynamic parameters associated with protein-ligand binding; single molecule techniques and their applications in studying protein folding and aggregation; protein quality control; the role of amino acid sequence in protein aggregation; muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, antimuscarinic drugs, and their clinical significances. Further, the book explains the current understanding on the therapeutic importance of the enzyme dopamine beta hydroxylase; structural dynamics and motions in molecular motors; role of cathepsins in controlling degradation of extracellular matrix during disease states; and the important structure-function relationship of iron-binding proteins, ferritins. Overall, the book is an important guide and a comprehensive resource for understanding protein structure, function, dynamics, and interaction.

DNA Tumor Viruses will focus on the DNA viruses in the human population that are associated with cancers. It will cover most of the viruses that are thought to contribute to human malignancy.

This book will represent a comprehensive review of the field of DNA tumor virology. Right now, while there are books out there that cover individual viruses that will be also covered in this book, there is no single book that covers this topic comprehensively.

The main textbook in this market, Fields, which is referred to by both reviewers, covers some of these topics but on a lower level. The only two books that are nearly as comprehensive as this one are Human Tumor Viruses, which was published by the American Society for Microbiology in 1998 and is quite outdated, and Viruses, Cell Transformation, and Cancer, which was published by Elsevier in 2001. Our book will be the only current, comprehensive review of its kind in the market.

Obesity is currently regarded as one of the major health challenges of the developed world. Excess body weight is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders and even psychiatric problems and is estimated to cause nearly 3 million deaths per year worldwide. Obesity is not necessarily associated with comorbidities: there are indeed metabolically healthy obese individuals. Thus, we need to consider individuals presenting simple with obesity separately from those at risk of developing or who have already developed complex clinical states potentially leading to disability. Comorbidities can tip the balance of independence in patients who already have functional limitations mainly due to the excess of mass itself or who develop conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, where an abnormal metabolism of adipose tissue prevails. Morbid obesity with comorbidities leading to disability represents a real social and economic burden for National Health Systems worldwide. The presence of multiple and associated comorbidities often represents an obstacle to being admitted to hospitals for the treatment of metabolic diseases. On the other hand, clinical units with optimal standards for the treatment of pathological conditions in normal-weight patients are often structurally and technologically inadequate for the care of patients with extreme obesity. The aim of this book is to focus on the pathophysiological and rehabilitative aspects of disabling obesity, highlighting multidisciplinary rehabilitation interventions as key to counteracting the disabling aspects of complicated obesity.

This volume provides a complete and timely guide to the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for genetic manipulation of mammalian tissues. Beginning with methods for the design and characterization of AAV vectors, the book continues with protocols for AAV delivery to various components of the central nervous system, to a number of sensory systems, and to a broad range of other tissues. Novel techniques such as ultrasound-targeted delivery to the brain, subpial delivery to the spinal cord, and subILM delivery to the retina are accompanied by chapters that provide an overview and comparison of current methods for AAV delivery to tissues such as brain, heart, liver, and lung. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, readily reproducible step-by-step laboratory protocols, and tips for troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and comprehensive, Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors: Design and Delivery aims to enhance the utility of AAV vectors for targeted gene transfer to living animals and continue the ongoing development of novel AAV-based gene therapies for human disease.

Gene therapy offers many conceptual advantages to treat muscle diseases, especially various forms of muscular dystrophies; however, it faces a number of unique challenges, including the need to deliver a therapeutic vector to all muscles throughout the body. In Muscle Gene Therapy: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field present a collection of techniques aimed at bridging the translational gap in muscle gene therapy between the prevalent rodent models and vitally important larger animal models. Divided into three sections, this volume examines basic protocols for optimizing the muscle gene expression cassette and for evaluating the therapeutic outcomes, new developments in muscle gene therapy technology such as adeno-associated viral vector (AAV), oligonucleotide-mediated exon-skipping, and novel RNA-based strategies, and step-by-step guidance on muscle gene delivery in swine, ovine, canine, and non-human primates. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, detailed, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Muscle Gene Therapy: Methods and Protocols serves as an invaluable resource for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and principle investigators pursuing the crucial advancement of muscle disease gene therapy in the hope of someday curing these debilitating disorders.

In this book we have taken a comprehensive look at the subject of familial and hereditary gastric tumors. In particular, the aim of this novel editorial work is to propose the correct management of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer patients, focusing in particular on E-cadherin germline mutations, clinical criteria definition, genetic screening and molecular mechanisms, pathology and microscopic features, surgical treatment and clinical approach for asymptomatic mutation carriers. We also describe other inherited predispositions involving gastric carcinoma.

DNA and RNA fractions have been isolated from the whole blood, serum, plasma, the surface of blood cells, urine, saliva and spinal fluid from both healthy individuals and clinical patients. Recent developments are presented concerning the isolation, quantification and analysis of these molecules and their use in the identification of specific nucleic acid fragments related to a variety of clinical disorders thereby permitting their early diagnosis and prognosis.

In this fascinating book, Jacques Balthazart presents a simple description of the biological mechanisms that are involved in the determination of sexual orientation in animals and also presumably in humans. Using scientific studies published over the last few decades, he argues that sexual orientation, both homosexual and heterosexual, is under the control of embryonic endocrine and genetic phenomena in which there is little room for individual choice. The author begins with animal studies of the hormonal and neural mechanisms that control the so-called instinctive behaviors and analyzes how this animal work may potentially apply to humans. The book does not focus exclusively on homosexuality, however. Instead, the book acts as a broader guide to the biological basis of sexual orientation, and also discusses important gender differences that may influence sexual orientation. While firmly grounded in the scientific literature, this text is developed for a broader audience and will be of interest to psychologists, researchers, students, and anyone interested in the biological factors that determine our sexuality.

This book provides readers an extensive overview of recent progress in basic and clinical research on cancer immunotherapy. Thanks to rapid advances in molecular biology and immunology, it has become increasingly evident that cancer growth is influenced by host immune responses. With the success of a number of clinical trials, immunotherapy has become a promising treatment modality of cancer. This book covers five major topics, including monoclonal antibodies, biological response modifiers, cancer vaccines, adoptive cellular therapy and oncolytic viruses. It also examines the combination of different immune strategies as well as the combination of immunotherapy with other treatments to increase anti-tumor effects. Through the comprehensive discussion of the topic, the book sheds valuable new light on the treatment of tumors.

Now in its third edition and supplemented with more online material, this book aims to make the "new" information-based (rather than gene-based) bioinformatics intelligible both to the "bio" people and the "info" people. Books on bioinformatics have traditionally served gene-hunters, and biologists who wish to construct family trees showing tidy lines of descent. While dealing extensively with the exciting topics of gene discovery and database-searching, such books have hardly considered genomes as information channels through which multiple forms and levels of information have passed through the generations. This "new bioinformatics" contrasts with the "old" gene-based bioinformatics that so preoccupies previous texts. Forms of information that we are familiar with (mental, textual) are related to forms with which we are less familiar (hereditary). The book extends a line of evolutionary thought that leads from the nineteenth century (Darwin, Butler, Romanes, Bateson), through the twentieth (Goldschmidt, White), and into the twenty first (the final works of the late Stephen Jay Gould). Long an area of controversy, diverging views may now be reconciled.

New genes and diversity leading to adaptation and evolution are generated in special areas of genomes. One such area in all eukaryotic genomes and in those prokaryotes with linear chromosomes is the region near the ends of the chromosomes. These telomere-associated sequences or subtelomeres, have different properties than the rest of the genome and are one of the most exciting frontiers left in genomics.

This book provides a broad introduction to the field of subtelomeres with detailed information from various fields and systems, covering yeasts and fungi, pathogens and parasites, plants, insects, humans and primates and bacteria with linear chromosomes. Advances in the field as well as continuing challenges are discussed throughout. The mosaic nature of this collection and the everchanging perspectives reflect the nature of subtelomeres themselves.

Unlike the core of most genomes, which are conserved and stable over time, subtelomeres are dynamic and polymorphic, so much so that generally no two individuals look alike in these regions. The dynamic nature of the region and the ability to change the copy number, generate diversity and try novel combinations make it the evolutionary tinker s toolbox. In many organisms the genes found in the region are involved in dealing with the environment. In yeasts, different gene families involved in sugar metabolism as well as clumping together are found in subtelomeres and differences in the region may be the reason why some strains are good for baking, others for brewing and why some are pathogenic. In fungal plant and animal pathogens, many of the genes involved in virulence are found here. In humans and primates there are a number of gene families that vary between ends, for example the diverse olfactory receptor genes. Even in bacterial linear chromosomes the region contains genes involved in adapting to their environments. Perhaps the ultimate use of these regions is in parasites where they rapidly adapt and escape from host immune systems through dynamic changes to the proteins exposed to the host s defenses. Such dynamic, polymorphic structures are also found in plants and insects though it is not always clear what the function might be; in some cases they take on the role of end maintenance. The dynamic, polymorphic nature of subtelomeres, where many ends share segmental duplications, is an exciting area for study but also presents a difficult challenge from the technical perspective."

This volume focuses on defining the unique attributes of using the zebrafish cancer model for discovering important pathways and potential drug targets for the treatment of human cancers. Using the zebrafish model, the volume explores oncogene and tumor suppressor discovery, chemical genetic approaches, genomics, epigenetics, cancer imaging, and cell transplantation. Contributed chapters come from the most prominent laboratories working in this field, which provides a unique perspective on zebrafish models from a wide spectrum of the research community. In addition, the book offers a detailed analysis of the most current research in the area for specific zebrafish cancer models, including T cell leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma, liver and pancreatic cancer, melanoma, neuroblastoma, germ cell tumors, and malignant peripheral sheath tumors. A chapter is also dedicated to the development and utilization of other piscine models of cancer. The compilation of chapters in the volume culminates into a comprehensive and definitive text on zebrafish and cancer, providing a much needed resource on the powerful attributes of the zebrafish model system.