The development of treatment strategies that can help patients with spinal cord injury to regain lost functions and an improved quality of life is a major medical challenge, and experimental spinal cord research has to meet these challenges by resolving fundamental problems, establishing a basis for possible novel treatment strategies of spinal cord injury, and motivating their clinical translation. In "Animal Models of Spinal Cord Repair," expert researchers examine a broad range of experimental models for research on spinal cord injury, how they have contributed to our current state of knowledge, and what their advantages are in the further advancement of spinal cord repair. With models from simple lamprey to non-human primates, the information presented is intended to guide the implementation of animal models for spinal cord repair as well as to raise the awareness of the relevance of experimental models which may not be in the current mainstream of this research. As a part of the "Neuromethods" series, this work contains the kind of detailed description and implementation advice to guarantee successful results in the laboratory.

Comprehensive and cutting-edge, "Animal Models of Spinal Cord Repair" presents the background information and hands-on methods descriptions, as well as the basic and clinical issues, needed to stimulate and guide researchers with different backgrounds towards the development of improved strategies for functionally relevant repair of the injured human spinal cord."

It is my hope that subsequent volumes of the series will join this volume in assisting in the more complete understanding of the causes, diagnosis, and cell-based treatment of major human diseases and debilitating tissue/organ injuries. There exists a tremendous, urgent demand by the public and the scientific community to address to cancer diagnosis, treatment, cure, and hopefully prevention. Stem Cells are nature's indispensable gift to multicellular organisms, including humans. The contents of the volume are divided into six subheadings: Stem Cell Culture, Bone Marrow Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Reprogramming and Differentiation of Stem Cells, Treatment, and Transplantation for the convenience of the readers.

"Animal Models for the Study of Human Disease" identifies important animal models and assesses the advantages and disadvantages of each model for the study of human disease. Thefirst section addresses how to locate resources, animal alternatives, animal ethics and related issues, much needed information for researchers across the biological sciences and biomedicine.The next sections of the work offers models for disease-oriented topics, including cardiac and pulmonary diseases, aging, infectious diseases, obesity, diabetes, neurological diseases, joint diseases, visual disorders, cancer, hypertension, genetic diseases, and diseases of abuse.
Organized by disease orientation for ease of searchabilityProvides information on locating resources, animal alternatives and animal ethicsCovers a broad range of animal models used in research for human disease"

This book introduces the reader to important aspects of the nano-hydrogels. It covers the development of hydrogels and their biology, chemistry and properties. Focus is also given to innovative characterization techniques and advances in structural design, with special emphasis on molecular structure, dynamic behavior and structural modifications of hydrogels. This book serves as a consolidated reference work for the diverse aspects of hydrogels, creating a valuable resource for students and researchers in academia and industry.

Given the latest advances in cancer research, which includes basic research and its derived diagnostic, clinical, and therapeutic applications, the book New Trends in Cancer for the 21st Century is written by individuals such as molecular biologists, whose tasks are to decipher, after sequencing the human genome, those new genes and pathways involved in the carcinogenesis process; clinical and molecular pathologists, who apply these discoveries for the molecular diagnosis and characterization of the tumor; and clinical oncologists, who treat patients. Pharmacogenetics introduces new perspectives in the translational fields with the design of drugs against specific targets, which at this moment are in clinical trials phases. Several organizations such as the EORTC (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer) and the OECI (Organization of European Cancer Institutes) and comprehensive cancer centers play a crucial role in focusing cancer research on all these areas.
This book achieves a state of the art in every field of cancer research and discusses the new perspectives that will open the future for cancer treatment (basic research, new technologies, new drugs, therapies...). For this reason, the book is intended for pathologists, clinicians, and biologists, as well as fellows and students of physiology and medicine.

This book summarizes the latest advances in pain research. All the chapters were contributed by speakers from Asian Pain Symposium (APS) on Acute and Chronic Pain, which was held in Taipei in 2017. Founded in Kyoto, Japan in 2000, the APS serves as a platform for scientists to present recent findings in pain research and discuss research orientation in this field. APS 2017 focused on novel strategies for pain treatment. Written by experts from various disciplines, from molecular to functional, and from basic to clinic studies, this book is composed of 18 review articles on the physiology and pathology of pain in these research fields. Specific topics include circuitry, neurotransmitter, physiology, behavior, neuropathology, pharmacology, and the treatments for neuropathic pain disorders. The book is a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students in pain medicine and neuroscience.

The last 10 years have seen a seismic shift in therapeutic product development and testing. In both the pharmaceutical (both small and large molecule) and medical device sectors, the vast majority of testing and evaluation of products is not performed within innovator companies, but rather has been outsourced to a growing universe of commercial organizations. The authors both have more than 30 years experience in this field, and both have worked within innovator companies, for CROs, and as consultants in the field. "Contract Research and Development Organizations: Their Role in Global Product Development" has been crafted by these authors to provide a how to guide for all aspects of working with CROs in selecting, working with and ensuring the best possible desirable outcome of having the R&D function, or substantial parts of it, outsourced. It uses as the exemplary case nonclinical safety assessment, biocompatibility and efficacy testing which are to be performed to select the best possible candidate compound, device or formulation and then moving the resulting regulated therapeutic medical product into and through the development process and to marketing approval. But also covered are the contract synthesis of drug substances and corresponding manufacture of biologics and manufacture of products, formulation development, clinical evaluation, regulatory and document preparation support, and use of consultants.

Included in the volume are an exhaustive listing of those CROs in the (drug and device) safety evaluation sector and their contact information and capabilities, and extensive similar listing for the other types of contract service providers. Also included are guidances on how to monitor ongoing work at contract facilities and audit check lists for GLP, GMP and GCP facilities. These listings are international in scope, and a specific chapter addresses working with some of the newer international CROs. "

This series was founded in 1959, and its focus has shifted from medicinal chemistry to a much wider scope. It now encompasses all fields concerned with the development of therapeutic drugs and the elucidation of their mechanisms of action, reflecting the increasingly complex nature of modern drugs research. Invited authors write reviews on the following fields: biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, immunology, pharmacy, toxicology, pharmacology, and clinical aspects. The books are linked by indexes in each volume, forming an almost encyclopaedic work.

Published since 1953, "Advances in Virus Research" covers a diverse range of in-depth reviews providing a valuable overview of the current field of virology.
Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

This book contains the full papers presented at the MICCAI 2013 workshop Bio-Imaging and Visualization for Patient-Customized Simulations (MWBIVPCS 2013). MWBIVPCS 2013 brought together researchers representing several fields, such as Biomechanics, Engineering, Medicine, Mathematics, Physics and Statistic.

The contributions included in this book present and discuss new trends in those fields, using several methods and techniques, including the finite element method, similarity metrics, optimization processes, graphs, hidden Markov models, sensor calibration, fuzzy logic, data mining, cellular automation, active shape models, template matching and level sets. These serve as tools to address more efficiently different and timely applications involving signal and image acquisition, image processing and analysis, image segmentation, image registration and fusion, computer simulation, image based modelling, simulation and surgical planning, image guided robot assisted surgical and image based diagnosis.

This book will appeal to researchers, PhD students and graduate students with multidisciplinary interests related to the areas of medical imaging, image processing and analysis, computer vision, image segmentation, image registration and fusion, scientific data visualization and image based modeling and simulation.

This book presents the current state of knowledge on the origin and differentiation of cell lines involved in the development of the vertebrate male and female gonads with particular emphasis on the mouse. It also discusses the processes leading to the testis- and ovary-specific structures and functions. The individual chapters review the origin and differentiation of the somatic cells of the genital ridges; the formation and migration of primordial germ cells in mouse and man; the gonadal supporting cell lineage and mammalian sex determination; differentiation of Sertoli and granulosa cells; mesonephric cell migration into the gonads and vascularization; origin and differentiation of androgen-producing cells in the gonads; germ cell commitment to the oogenic versus spermatogenic pathway and the role of retinoic acid; ovarian folliculogenesis; control of oocyte growth and development by intercellular communication within the follicular niche; biology of the Sertoli cell in the fetal, pubertal and adult mammalian testis; mechanisms regulating spermatogonial differentiation; stem cells in mammalian gonads; the role of microRNAs in cell differentiation during gonad development; human sex development and its disorders; as well as methods for the study of gonadal development.

This entry in the series Pediatric Cancer offers comprehensive information on a variety of cancers, concentrating on brain tumors, the most common solid tumors and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. The contents are organized in seven sections: Neuroblastoma, Medulloblastoma, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Rhabdoid, Sarcoma and Miscellaneous Tumors. Coverage includes pediatric medulloblastoma, and treatments including craniospinal radiation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The contributors explain diagnosis and chemotherapy of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and diagnosis of bone marrow involvement in pediatric lymphoma patients. Ewing's sarcoma, a highly malignant connective tissue neoplasm formed by the proliferation of mesenchymal cells, receives extensive coverage, including targeting of molecular pathways and chemotherapy and surgical treatment. The roles of apoptotic genes, MYCN gene, MDM2, and SNP309, P13K inhibitors, alternative splicing and microRNAs, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule and inhibition by alu-like RNA in neuroblastoma are discussed in detail. The book explores the molecular genetics, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of the atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT). Among the most common malignant neoplasms in children, AT/RT exhibits similarities with other CNS tumors, which can lead to misclassification, as pointed out in the book. The contributors discuss diagnosis of AT/RT type using imaging technology, and describe new strategies, including intensive multimodal therapy and high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation that have shown improved outcomes. Coverage of therapies includes total resection followed by aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. Discussion includes diagnosis and treatment of other pediatric tumors including adrenocortical tumors, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors, giant midline tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, ependymomas and intramedullary cavernoma. Pediatric Cancer: Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis, Volume 4 includes contributions by ninety-one contributors - oncologists, neurosurgeons, physicians, research scientists and pathologists - representing thirteen countries. The editor, M.A. Hayat, is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA.

This book covers the most recent advances in using nanoparticles for biomedical imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic particle imaging (MPI), nuclear medicine, ultrasound (US) imaging, computed tomography (CT), and optical imaging. Topics include nanoparticles for MRI and MPI, siRNA delivery, theranostic nanoparticles for PET imaging of drug delivery, US nanoparticles for imaging drug delivery, inorganic nanoparticles for targeted CT imaging, and quantum dots for optical imaging. This book serves as a valuable resource for the fundamental science of diagnostic nanoparticles and their interactions with biological targets, providing a practical handbook for improved detection of disease and its clinical implementation.

Recent findings have implied a distinct therapeutic potential for drugs targeting Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels in a wide variety of diseases, many with no existing satisfactory treatment options. Thus, the TRP superfamily of ion channels has attracted a great deal of well-deserved attention. TRP Channels in Drug Discovery provides a thorough collection of the most up-to-date reviews and protocols on the subject, coming from top experts in the field. Volume II presents a practical methodologies involving models for disorders of the cardiovascular system, the brain, skin, the metabolic system, as well as colitis, cancer, thermosensation, and musculoskeletal disorders. Written for the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology(t) series, this work includes the kind of detailed description and key implementation advice that ensures successful results in the lab. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, TRP Channels in Drug Discovery serves as an ideal reference for graduate students in academic laboratories as well as for pharmaceutical scientists developing new drugs and clinicians interested in novel drugs in the pipeline.

This volume explores recent advances in the use of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and adult stem cells (ASCs) in basic and clinical applications. The chapters discuss use of PSCs for drug screening, genome editing, modeling of kidney, motor neuron diseases, and diabetes as well as their application in cancer; ASCs are discussed in the contexts of banking of umbilical cord stem cells, use of multipotential stromal cells (MSCs) for bone repair, cellular interactions during fracture repair stages, and therapeutic applications of neural crest stem cells and lung stem cells. The text is organized by sections dealing with PSCs and ASCs specifically, presenting the reader with a comprehensive examination of both these forms of stem cells. Expertly authored and drawing from a wealth of international perspectives, Recent Advances in Stem Cells: From Basic Research to Clinical Applications presents a succinct yet detailed review of cutting-edge research in this rapidly expanding field. This installment of Springer's Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series is essential reading for academics, researchers, and clinicians in the fields of cell biology, genetics, nephrology, osteology, oncology, and pulmonology.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) play an integral role in biomedical research, enabling researchers to examine physiological mechanisms and pathways relevant to human pathogenesis and its therapy. That, along with their low cost, easy manipulation, short reproductive cycles, and physiological homology to humans, has made zebrafish a vital model organism for neuroscience research. Zebrafish Protocols for Neurobehavioral Research addresses protocols for both larval and adult models, written by the leading experts in the field of zebrafish research. Part I of this book takes advantage of the high-throughput nature of larval models to offer protocols for research requiring high output, easily manipulated screens. The second half of the book focuses on the robust and sophisticated behaviors of adult zebrafish, suitable for the neurophenotyping of complex traits and multi-domain disorders. Importantly, these models complement each other, working together to provide researchers with valuable insights into neurobiology of normal and pathological behavior. Thorough and cutting-edge, this volume is a useful, authoritative reference guide that should hold a coveted spot in zebrafish laboratories across the globe.

As the first primer on the effects of exercise on human hypertension, Effects of Exercise on Hypertension: From Cells to Physiological Systems provides the state-of-the-art effects of exercise on the many possible mechanisms underlying essential hypertension in humans. The book contains chapters by distinguished experts on the effects of exercise on physiological systems known to be involved in hypertension development and maintenance as well as less well known aspects of hypertension such as 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure profile and oxidative stress. An emerging area, the effects of resistance exercise training on blood pressure is also covered. A unique aspect of the book is that it covers the effects of exercise mimetics on vascular cell adaptations in order to begin to elucidate some of the cellular mechanisms that may underlie blood pressure reductions with exercise training. Lastly, the book will end with a chapter on the interactive effects of genes and exercise on blood pressure. Chapters are grouped by physiological system or mechanism. The text begins with two overview chapters; one on the general effects of aerobic exercise training and the second on the general effects of resistance exercise training on blood pressure. Each chapter begins with a bulleted list of key points. Effects of Exercise on Hypertension: From Cells to Physiological Systems will be of great value to professional individuals in cardiovascular medicine, the cardiovascular sciences, allied health care professionals, and medical and graduate students in the cardiovascular sciences and medicine.

Injury is recognized as a major public health issue worldwide. In most countries, injury is the leading cause of death and disability for children and young adults age 1 to 39 years. Each year in the United States, injury claims about 170,000 lives and results in over 30 million emergency room visits and 2.5 million hospitalizations. Injury is medically defined as organ/tissue damages inflicted upon oneself or by an external agent either accidentally or deliberately. Injury encompasses the undesirable consequences of a wide array of events, such as motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, burns, falls, and drowning, medical error, adverse effects of drugs, suicide and homicide. The past two decades have witnessed a remarkable growth in injury research, both in scope and in depth. To address the tremendous health burden of injury morbidity and mortality at the global level, the World Health Organization in 2000 created the Department of Injury and Violence Prevention, which has produced several influential reports on violence, traffic injury, and childhood injury. The biennial World Conference on Injury Control and Safety Promotion attracts a large international audience and has been successfully convened nine times in different countries. In the United States, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control became an independent program of the federal Centers for Disease Prevention and Control in 1997. Since then, each state health department has created an office in charge of injury prevention activities and over a dozen universities have established injury control research centers. This volume will fill an important gap in the scientific literature by providing a comprehensive and up-to-date reference resource to researchers, practitioners, and students working on different aspects of the injury problem and in different practice settings and academic fields.

This volume covers all aspects of the antibiotic discovery and development process through Phase II/III. The contributors, a group of highly experienced individuals in both academics and industry, include chapters on the need for new antibiotic compounds, strategies for screening for new antibiotics, sources of novel synthetic and natural antibiotics, discovery phases of lead development and optimization, and candidate compound nominations into development. Beyond discovery , the handbook will cover all of the studies to prepare for IND submission: Phase I (safety and dose ranging), progression to Phase II (efficacy), and Phase III (capturing desired initial indications). This book walks the reader through all aspects of the process, which has never been done before in a single reference. With the rise of antibiotic resistance and the increasing view that a crisis may be looming in infectious diseases, there are strong signs of renewed emphasis in antibiotic research. The purpose of the handbook is to offer a detailed overview of all aspects of the problem posed by antibiotic discovery and development.

This volume provides protocols that expand on the latest alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) research. The chapters in this book are divided in to three sections: Part I is dedicated to patient-oriented research; part II discusses animal models; and Part III focuses on in vitro studies. 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. Cutting-edge and authoritative, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for researchers, students, and clinican-scientists interested in AAT deficiency, as well as anyone working in the fields of pulmonology and hepatology.

The Badgastein Lecture.- The Challenge of the 21st Century.- Neurology, Psychiatry.- First Evaluation in Humans of [123I]PE21: A Selective Radioligand for Visualization of the Striatal Dopamine Transporter Density.- Comparison of Iodine-123 labelled Nor-ss-Cit and ss-Cit as Potential Radioligands for Serotonin Transporter Imaging.- Brain Serotonin and Dopamine Transporters in Depressive Children.- Prognostic Potential of Tc-99m-ECD-SPET within 6 Hours after Onset of Stroke Symptoms.- Brain Perfusion in Patients with Severe Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) before and after n-CPAP-Therapy.- Therapy.- Radioimmunotherapy of Colorectal Cancer in Small Volume Disease: Preclinical Evaluation in Comparison To Equitoxic Chemotherapy and Preliminary Results of an Ongoing Phase-I/II Clinical Trial.- Radioimmunotherapy of Glioblastoma by Using I-131 and Y-90 Labeled Anti-tenascin Monoclonal Antibodies.- I-131-Lipiodol Therapy in Liver Neoplasms.- Individualized Dose Estimation for Sr-89 with the Use of Diagnostic Tc-99m MDP Bone Scintigraphy.- Rhenium-186-HEDP and Strontium-89-Chloride in Treatment of Metastatic Bone Pain.- The Development of Chromatographic 188W/188Re Generators for Therapy.- Radiopharmacology.- Evaluation of mRNA Targeting by Labeled Oligonucleotides for Tumor-Diagnosis.- Synthesis and Evaluation of [123I]-Iodoaminoglutethimide, a Ligand for Visualization of the Aromatase Enzyme by SPECT.- Comparative Analysis of Kinetic Models to Study Glucose Metabolism of the Brain.- Bone Scintigraphy and Palliative Therapy with Multibone Kit.- Pharmaosintigraphic Study of Localization in the G.I. Tract of Controlled Release Tablets Using 153Sm as Marker.- Endocrinology, Thyroid.- On the Use of Routine Preoperative Scintigraphy in Thyroid Carcinoma Patients.- The Value of HMPAO SPECT Scanning in Patients with Congenital Hypothyreosis.- Advanced Stage Thyroid Cancer - Treatment with Isotretinoin.- Is SPECT-Technique Necessary for Preoperative Diagnosis of Parathyroid Adenoma ?.- Oncology, Haematology.- Comparison of Interlesionally and Systemically Administered Radiolabelled Monoclonal Antibodies in Implanted Tumours.- Comparison of MRI and Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy (SRS) in Post-surgical Follow-up of Meningioma.- Comparison of Contrast Enhanced MRI, Tc-99m Hydroxymethylene Diphosphonate and Tc-99m Tetrofosmin Scintimammography in Patients with Suspicious Breast Lesions.- Neoadjuvant Treatment of Patients with Breast Cancer under Surveillance of 99mTc-Tetrofosmin Scintigraphy.- 99Tc-Furifosmin Uptake by Melanoma Cells.- Lymphoscintigraphy in Tumors of the Head and Neck Using a Double Tracer Technique.- Clinical PET.- Clinical Application of 18FDG-PET in the Assessment of Head and Neck Tumors.- The Role of FDG-PET and MIBI Investigations in the Restaging of Treated Patients with Malignant Lymphomas.- Assessment of Pulmonary Nodules and Colorectal Cancer Recurrences by FDG Scan on an"Ordinary" Coincidence Gamma Camera (CDET).- Clinical Utility of 18FDG-PET with Molecular Coincidence Detection (MCD) and a Modified SPECT-Camera.- Deoxyglucose Uptake by Apoptosing and Proliferating Colonic Tumour Cells.- Cardiology.- Relation Between Viability, Improvement of LVEF and Heart Failure Symptoms after Revascularization.- Attenuation Corrected Tl-201 SPECT Using a Gd-153 Moving Line Source: Clinical Value and the Impact of Attenuation Correction on the Extent and Severity of Perfusion Abnormalities.- Correlation of EBCT and Tl-201-SPECT Scintigraphy in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.- Influence of Right Ventricular Stimulation Site on Left Ventricular Function in a Trial Synchronous Pacing.- Varia.- 153Sm-EDTMP for Pain Relief in Malignant and Benign Bone and Joint Diseases.- Tc-99m-Tetrofosmin SPECT Scintigraphy in the Post-operative Follow-up of Microvascular Anastomosed Flaps in Facial Reconstruction.- Long-Term Follow-up Study of Gastric Emptying and Helicobacter Pylori Eradication among Patients with Functional Dyspepsia.- The Valu

This book will be focused on mitochondria as very promising targets for anti-cancer drugs, yet to be fully exploited. It will contain chapters focused on aspects of basic research as well as on clinical relevance, which will be written by specialists in the field. That the role of mitochondria in human pathologies goes beyond the neoplastic diseases will be documented by a chapter of the role of mitochondria in Friedreich's ataxia.

This volume of "Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science" discusses cutting-edge research of proteasomes and proteasome-associated proteins and cellular systems. The volume is split into two sections. The first part discusses the current knowledge of the structure, function, and regulation of the proteasomal system. The second part describes the role of the proteasome in aging and disease.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

This volume of "Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science" covers the recent advances in the expanding fields of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics. Forty authors from eight countries have contributed to the publication, representing the most cutting-edge research available.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

This book provides a framework for computational researchers studying the basics of cancer through comparative analyses of omic data. It discusses how key cancer pathways can be analyzed and discovered to derive new insights into the disease and identifies diagnostic and prognostic markers for cancer. Chapters explain the basic cancer biology and how cancer develops, including the many potential survival routes. The examination of gene-expression patterns uncovers commonalities across multiple cancers and specific characteristics of individual cancer types. The authors also treat cancer as an evolving complex system, explore future case studies, and summarize the essential online data sources. Cancer Bioinformatics is designed for practitioners and researchers working in cancer research and bioinformatics. It is also suitable as a secondary textbook for advanced-level students studying computer science, biostatistics or biomedicine.