This book illustrates the importance and significance of the molecular (physical and chemical) and evolutionary (gene fusion) principles of protein-protein and domain-domain interactions towards the understanding of cell division, disease mechanism and target definition in drug discovery. It describes the complex issues associated with this phenomenon using cutting edge advancement in Bioinformatics and Bioinformation Discovery. The chapters provide current information pertaining to the types of protein-protein complexes (homodimers, heterodimers, multimer complexes) in context with various specific and sensitive biological functions. The significance of such complex formation in human biology in the light of molecular evolution is also highlighted using several examples. The chapters also describe recent advancements on the molecular principles of protein-protein interaction with reference to evolution towards target identification in drug discovery. Finally, the book also elucidates a comprehensive yet a representative description of a large number of challenges associated with the molecular interaction of proteins.

This book is a collation of translational research outcomes in the area of life research, which was formerly used mainly for academic pursuits. The studies described focus on innovative interdisciplinary approaches to unraveling problems in life sciences and biomedicine using biodiversity exploration and green technology. The techniques and models presented offer a ready reckoner for researchers in academic institutions and industry, and also provide valuable insights into fundamental research. The book discusses topics such as tissue engineering to create lineage-specific cells for tissue-specific regeneration; how combination cultures of commensalistic bacteria can help boost immunity; development of functional food from natural products from plant, animal, and microbial sources in the nutraceuticals domain; as well as synthesis and mechanisms in nanomedicine and nanoscaffolds in biomedicine. The studies and discourses described touch upon topics that explore biodiversity for the development of disease models, toxicity studies, developmental studies, and harvesting of bioactive compounds for alternative income generation and poverty alleviation, and as a result, bring about economic and ecologic sustainability. This multidimensional and multidisciplinary book focuses on tissue-specific targeting by nanodrugs, development of bioengineering formats for cell- based, nutraceutical-based, functional-food-based and antibody-based green therapy designed tackle multifaceted diseases and syndromes.

This book comprehensively discusses the latest research in the area of metabolic engineering. Metabolic engineering solutions for bioactive compounds are now being derived by means of heterologous gene expression, in a wide range of organisms. The book provides an overview of the model systems being employed for metabolic manipulation to yield bioactive molecules, such as single-cell proteins, antibody generation, metabolites, proteases, chaperones, therapeutic proteins, nanomaterials, polymeric conjugates, dendrimers and nanoassemblies, Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and cell lines, etc. In addition, it shares insights into the scope of these methods in the areas of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, e.g. immunotherapy for curing various diseases like cancer, allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc.

This volume focuses on the modulation of biological membranes by specific biophysical properties. The readers are introduced to emerging biophysical approaches that mimick specific states (like membrane lipid asymmetry, membrane curvature, lipid flip-flop, lipid phase separation) that are relevant to the functioning of biological membranes. The first chapter describes innovative methods to mimic the prevailing asymmetry in biological membranes by forming asymmetrical membranes made of monolayers with different compositions. One of the chapters illustrates how physical parameters, like curvature and elasticity, can affect and modulate the interactions between lipids and proteins. This volume also describes the sensitivity of certain ion channels to mechanical forces and it presents an analysis of how cell shape is determined by both the cytoskeleton and the lipid domains in the membrane. The last chapter provides evidence that liposomes can be used as a minimal cellular model to reconstitute processes related to the origin of life. Each topic covered in this volume is presented by leading experts in the field who are able to present clear, authoritative and up-to-date reviews. The novelty of the methods proposed and their potential for a deeper molecular description of membrane functioning are particularly relevant experts in the areas of biochemistry, biophysics and cell biology, while also presenting clear and thorough introductions, making the material suitable for students in these fields as well.

This book provides the most up-to-date review of the simian virus 40 (SV40) minichromosome as a model for the mammalian chromosome in studies of DNA replication. It focuses on disruption of DNA replication by anticancer drugs and DNA-damaging agents. There is a strong emphasis on the unique advantages of SV40 as an experimental system for the analysis of these classes of anticancer drug mechanisms. The new high-resolution gel electrophoresis methods for the analysis of SV40 DNA replication are covered in detail to aid readers in designing and interpreting similar experiments.
Key Features
* Presents unique advantages of SV40 as an experimental system for the study of classes of anticancer drugs
* Details new high-resolution gel electrophoresis methods for the analysis of SV40 DNA replication
* Provides details to help the reader design and interpret similar experiments

This book focuses on the most recent, relevant, comprehensive and significant advances in cancer and chemo prevention. It broadly discusses cancer, its hallmarks and classification, molecular mechanisms of outbreak, contributing factors, role of oxidative stress, inflammatory mediators and evading apoptosis, which leads to the progression of disease. Though modern medicine has left us with no option to treat this deadly disease due to drawbacks associated with conventional treatment - like its non-targeted nature, drug resistance, varied organ toxicities and unaffordability - chemoprevention offers a viable therapeutic window. Given chemoprevention's importance in the present scenario, the book highlights various chemo preventive strategies currently used in the management of cancer; a selection of novel chemo preventive agents used at clinics and in the pre-clinical stage; hurdles to effective chemoprevention; future prospects and the road ahead. It offers a valuable guide for all graduate students and researchers seeking information on cancer and chemoprevention in general, irrespective of the specific type/pathways involved in its onset.

As there are a number of nuances in terms of how to manage mutation carriers (both with and without a concomitant diagnosis of breast cancer), this text provides a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of this field. It represents a valuable resource for a myriad of clinicians and healthcare personnel who interface with these patients. The text discusses the latest recommendations for genetic counseling and risk assessment, provides a framework for considering reducing risk in mutation carriers who do not present with a concomitant diagnosis of breast cancer, and finally elucidates the many considerations of managing a breast cancer patient with a BRCA mutation. The text presents a multidisciplinary approach gleaning insights from imaging, breast surgery, gynecology, plastic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology and psycho-oncology. Managing BRCA Mutation Carriers will be a useful resource for physicians and healthcare providers from a myriad of disciplines who manage BRCA mutation carriers. All chapters are written by experts in their fields and include the most up to date scientific and clinical information.

Bacterial pili play important roles as environmental sensors, in host colonization and in biofilm formation, enabling bacteria to interact with the environment, with surfaces and with other bacteria and host cells. Most bacteria, both Gram positive and Gram negative, and almost all bacterial pathogens, are piliated. This book discusses the synthesis, structure, evolution, function and role in pathogenesis of these complex structures, and their basis for vaccine development and therapeutics for Streptococcus pathogens. It is an invaluable resource for researchers and students of medical microbiology.

This unique textbook provides a clear and concise overview of the key principles of the complex field of phylogenomics, with a particular focus on sequencing technologies that are crucial to studying and understanding interrelations in evolutionary genomics. It includes chapters dedicated to the analysis of nucleotide sequences using assembling and alignment methods and also discusses the main strategies for phylogenetic studies, systematic errors and their correction. This highly readable textbook is intended for graduate students and young researchers with an interest in phylogenetics and evolutionary developmental biology.

Autosomal dominant inheritance means an abnormal gene from one parent can cause disease, even though the matching gene from the other parent is normal. The abnormal gene dominates. In this book, the authors present new research in autosomal dominant disorders. Topics discussed include the pathophysiology and treatment of autosomal polycystic kidney disease; hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia or Rendu-Osler-Weber Syndrome; osteogenesis imperfecta; and autosomal dominant disorders associated with breast cancer.

This volume provides the reader with an overview of the diverse functions of the RUNX family of genes. As highlighted in the introduction and several of the 29 chapters, humans and other mammals have three RUNX genes that are known to play specific roles in blood, bone and neuronal development. However, their evolutionary history has recently been traced back to unicellular organisms and their involvement in many well-known signaling pathways (Wnt, TGFb, Notch, Hippo) is indicative of a more general function in cell biology. Their documented roles in cell fate decisions include control of proliferation, differentiation, survival, senescence and autophagy. The pleiotropic effects of RUNX in development are mirrored in cancer, where RUNX genes can function as oncogenes that collaborate strongly with Myc family oncogenes or as tumour suppressor genes. In the latter role, they display hallmarks of both 'gatekeepers' that modulate p53 responses and 'caretakers' that protect the genome from DNA damage. Several chapters focus on the importance of these genes in leukemia research, where RUNX1 and CBFB are frequently affected by chromosomal translocations that generate fusion oncoproteins, while recent studies suggest wider roles for RUNX modulation in solid cancers. Moreover, RUNX genes are intimately involved in the development and regulation of the immune system, while emerging evidence suggests a role in innate immunity to infectious agents, including HIV. At the biochemical level, the RUNX family can serve as activators or repressors of transcription and as stable mediators of epigenetic memory through mitosis. Not surprisingly, RUNX activity is controlled at multiple levels, this includes miRNAs and a plethora of post-translational modifications. Several chapters highlight the interplay between the three mammalian RUNX genes, where cross-talk and partial functional redundancies are evident. Finally, structural analysis of the RUNX/CBFB interaction has led to the development of small molecule inhibitors that provide exciting new tools to decipher the roles of RUNX in development and as targets for therapy. This volume provides a compendium and reference source that will be of broad interest to cancer researchers, developmental biologists and immunologists.

With irresistibly persuasive vigor, David Shenk debunks the long-standing notion of genetic "giftedness," and presents dazzling new scientific research showing how greatness is in the reach of every individual.

DNA does not make us who we are. "Forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence," he writes. "In recent years, a mountain of scientific evidence has emerged suggesting a completely new paradigm: not talent scarcity, but latent talent abundance."

Integrating cutting-edge research from a wide swath of disciplines--cognitive science, genetics, biology, child development--Shenk offers a highly optimistic new view of human potential. The problem isn't our inadequate genetic assets, but our inability, so far, to tap into what we already have. IQ testing and widespread acceptance of "innate" abilities have created an unnecessarily pessimistic view of humanity--and fostered much misdirected public policy, especially in education.

The truth is much more exciting. Genes are not a "blueprint" that bless some with greatness and doom most of us to mediocrity or worse. Rather our individual destinies are a product of the complex interplay between genes and outside stimuli-a dynamic that we, as people and as parents, can influence.

This is a revolutionary and optimistic message. We are not prisoners of our DNA. We all have the potential for greatness.

This book gives a comprehensive insight into platelet biogenesis, platelet signal transduction, involvement of platelets in disease, the use of diverse animal models for platelet research and future perspectives in regard to platelet production and gene therapy. Being written by international experts, the book is a concise state-of-the art work in the field of platelet biogenesis, biology and research. It represents an indispensable tool for research scientists in biomedicine, vascular biology, hematopoiesis and hemostasis and specifically for scientists in platelet research, as well as for clinicians in the field of hematology and transfusion medicine.

This book focuses on malignant melanoma, discussing the current state of scientific knowledge and providing insights into the underlying basic mechanisms, the molecular changes, genetics and genomics. Human Melanoma is a dangerous type of skin cancer affecting an increasing population, and a better understanding of its development will help in finding sophisticated targeted therapies. The second revised edition features the latest research findings and offers updates on the latest advances and potential novel melanoma therapies. It is a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians working in the fields of melanoma, cancer research and therapy as well as dermatology.

The new science of nutrigenomics and its ethical and societal challenges

Gene-diet interactions--which underlie relatively benign lactose intolerance to life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease--have long been known. But until now, scientists lacked the tools to fully understand the underlying mechanisms that cause these conditions. In recent years, however, strides in human genomics and the nutritional sciences have allowed for the advancement of a new science--dubbed nutrigenomics. Although this science may lead to personalized nutrition and dietary recommendations that can mitigate, prevent, or cure sickness, current oversight mechanisms and regulations for emerging direct-to-public nutrigenomic tests are still in their infancy.
Science, Society, and the Supermarket: The Opportunities and Challenges of Nutrigenomics discusses the many ethical, legal, and social challenges presented by nutrigenomics. Concerning itself with the basic uses of nutrigenomic research as well as its clinical and commercial aspects, this text sheds light on such issues as:
* Opportunities and challenges for nutrigenomics
* The science of nutrigenomics
* The ethics of nutrigenomic tests and information both in a clinical setting and by private third parties
* Alternatives for nutrigenomics service delivery
* Nutrigenomics and the regulation of health claims for foods and drugs
* Equity and access to nutrigenomics in industrialized and developing countries
* Intellectual property issues
By taking a proactive bioethical stance on the subject, Science, Society, and the Supermarket offers a thorough and timely analysis on both the benefits and risks of nutrigenomics. Along with a thought-provoking examination of the issues, this book provides ethical guidelines and recommendations for further study in policy and regulatory development.

Breast cancer is a disease requiring multidisciplinary management including surgery, medical and radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, nuclear medicine, genetic counseling, and psychological support. Each member of the team needs to be updated continuously on breast cancer treatment because of its rapidly changing nature. From the diagnostic procedures to operations and even in metastatic stages of breast cancer, surgeons play an essential part in multidisciplinary teams. After standard surgical options, oncoplastic breast surgery is rapidly becoming one of the most important surgical topics that should be learned by attending surgeons. The idea of writing this book stemmed from a collaboration between the European Academy of Senology (EAoS), European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Euro-Asian Society of Mastology (ESOMA), and SENATURK (Turkish Academy of Senology), which have been working together to promote better training in breast care for professionals. The book offers invaluable support for breast surgeons by covering critical and essential information in senology. It will also greatly benefit the other members of multidisciplinary teams, surgery residents, gynecologists, and plastic and reconstructive surgeons.

How race became embedded in a medical instrument In the antebellum South, plantation physicians used a new medical device-the spirometer-to show that lung volume and therefore vital capacity were supposedly less in black slaves than in white citizens. At the end of the Civil War, a large study of racial difference employing the spirometer appeared to confirm the finding, which was then applied to argue that slaves were unfit for freedom. What is astonishing is that this example of racial thinking is anything but a historical relic. In Breathing Race into the Machine, science studies scholar Lundy Braun traces the little-known history of the spirometer to reveal the social and scientific processes by which medical instruments have worked to naturalize racial and ethnic differences, from Victorian Britain to today. Routinely a factor in clinical diagnoses, preemployment physicals, and disability estimates, spirometers are often "race corrected," typically reducing normal values for African Americans by 15 percent. An unsettling account of the pernicious effects of racial thinking that divides people along genetic lines, Breathing Race into the Machine helps us understand how race enters into science and shapes medical research and practice. Honorable Mention, 2017 Rachel Carson Prize, Society for the Social Studies of Science Winner of the 2018 Ludwik Fleck Prize from the Society for Social Studies of Science

The Handbook provides an essential resource at the interface of Genomics, Health and Society, and forms a crucial research tool for both new students and established scholars across biomedicine and social sciences. Building from and extending the first Routledge Handbook of Genetics and Society, the book offers a comprehensive introduction to pivotal themes within the field, an overview of the current state of the art knowledge on genomics, science and society, and an outline of emerging areas of research. Key themes addressed include the way genomic based DNA technologies have become incorporated into diverse arenas of clinical practice and research whilst also extending beyond the clinic; the role of genomics in contemporary 'bioeconomies'; how challenges in the governance of medical genomics can both reconfigure and stabilise regulatory processes and jurisdictional boundaries; how questions of diversity and justice are situated across different national and transnational terrains of genomic research; and how genomics informs - and is shaped by - developments in fields such as epigenetics, synthetic biology, stem cell, microbial and animal model research. Chapter 13 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315451695-13 Chapter 28 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781315451695-28

Regenerative medicine is the main field of groundbreaking medical development and therapy using knowledge from developmental and stem cell biology as well as advanced molecular and cellular techniques. This collection of volumes on Regenerative Medicine: From Protocol to Patient, aims to explain the scientific knowledge and emerging technology as well as the clinical application in different organ systems and diseases. International leading experts from all over the world describe the latest scientific and clinical knowledge of the field of regenerative medicine. The process of translating science of laboratory protocols into therapies is explained in sections on regulatory, ethical and industrial issues. This collection is organized into five volumes: (1) Biology of Tissue Regeneration, (2) Stem Cell Science and Technology, (3) Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, (4) Regenerative Therapies I, and (5) Regenerative Therapies II. The textbook gives the student, the researcher, the health care professional, the physician and the patient a complete survey on the current scientific basis, therapeutical protocols, clinical translation and practiced therapies in regenerative medicine. Volume 5 contains clinical science and translation surveys on the circulatory system, visceral, musculoskeletal and skin. The state-of-the-art descriptions involve concepts for clinical diagnosis, stem cell and gene therapy, biomaterials for tissue replacement and pharmacological/biomolecule treatment strategies.

Written by global experts, this book provides a modern comprehensive insight into the pharmacogenetics of treatment of major psychoses: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. The pharmacogenomics of three categories of the most important psychiatric drugs, antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers, has been updated and reviewed. Some promising directions and perspectives for future research in pharmacogenetics in major psychoses are indicated. They are, among others, connected with the development of new methods in molecular genetics and with linking pharmacogenetics assessment with biomarkers, including neuroimaging ones. Finally, the attempts to use pharmacogenetics of antipsychotic, antidepressant and mood-stabilizing drugs in practice are presented. New pharmacogenetic tools may greatly contribute to introducing personalized medicine into psychiatric clinical practice.

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 volume provides readers with an introduction to all the methods and major approaches now being used to study the structural and functional development of the brain. Prenatal and Postnatal Determinants of Development explores early anatomical development, the emergence of function and the processes that lead to damage and repair of the growing and immature brain. Chapters are divided into three sections covering development, programming and stress, and brain damage-causes and consequences. Written in the popular Neuromethods series style, chapters include the kind of detail and key advice from the specialists needed to get successful results in your own laboratory.Concise and easy-to-use, Prenatal and Postnatal Determinants of Development aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

This volume mirrors the holistic feature of whole genome amplification (WGA) technology by combining reviews, detailed basic methods and advanced sample workflows. The first part of the book covers an overview of the development of WGA techniques throughout recent years including general considerations on bias in WGA, possible sample pre-enrichment strategies and how to run a single-cell lab. The second part focuses on major WGA methods and protocols that allow the assessment of WGA product quality. The final chapters contain advanced protocols and address issues such as sample preparation using laser-micro dissection; WGA from partially degraded DNA (formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples); circulating tumor cells; and ancient samples. 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 thorough, Whole Genome Amplification: Methods and Protocols will serve as a rich source of detailed information and inspiration and will help researchers, both new and experienced, yield successful results.

The untold story of how hereditary data in mental hospitals gave rise to the science of human heredity In the early 1800s, a century before there was any concept of the gene, physicians in insane asylums began to record causes of madness in their admission books. Almost from the beginning, they pointed to heredity as the most important of these causes. As doctors and state officials steadily lost faith in the capacity of asylum care to stem the terrible increase of insanity, they began emphasizing the need to curb the reproduction of the insane. They became obsessed with identifying weak or tainted families and anticipating the outcomes of their marriages. Genetics in the Madhouse is the untold story of how the collection and sorting of hereditary data in mental hospitals, schools for "feebleminded" children, and prisons gave rise to a new science of human heredity. In this compelling book, Theodore Porter draws on untapped archival evidence from across Europe and North America to bring to light the hidden history behind modern genetics. He looks at the institutional use of pedigree charts, censuses of mental illness, medical-social surveys, and other data techniques--innovative quantitative practices that were worked out in the madhouse long before the manipulation of DNA became possible in the lab. Porter argues that asylum doctors developed many of the ideologies and methods of what would come to be known as eugenics, and deepens our appreciation of the moral issues at stake in data work conducted on the border of subjectivity and science. A bold rethinking of asylum work, Genetics in the Madhouse shows how heredity was a human science as well as a medical and biological one.

In the past, medical researchers and practicing clinicians have lacked a single, comprehensive resource on chromosome disorders, the cause of a wide variety of growth abnormalities and miscarriages. As new syndromes are being defined and known syndromes better described, patients with chromosomal abnormalities and their families are making greater demands on professionals for more extensive information. Consisting of more than 200 chromosomal aneuploidy syndromes, the Handbook of Chromosomal Syndromes is the most up-to-date reference to focus exclusively on clinical syndromes due to chromosomal abnormalities.

This fully illustrated guide is ideal for clinicians to use as a ready reference and for treatment and counseling of families and expectant parents facing abnormal prenatal tests. For each syndrome, this easy-to-use guide offers a complete description of clinical presentation, with illustrations, as well as information on behavioral aspects, life expectancy, diagnosis, and cytogenetics. Features of the text include:

• A section devoted to the nomenclature of chromosome abnormalities
• Pictorial material suitable to be shown to patient populations
• Descriptions of the phenotype in tabular and text form for quick and easy reference
• Ideograms for each entry
• A list of key references

Practicing clinicians–including primary care providers, pediatricians, and obstetricians–genetic counselors, researchers, and clinical and medical geneticists will find the Handbook of Chromosomal Syndromes to be an indispensable resource.