Over the past decade, we have made great advances in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) research, and this book focuses on those advances in MS pathogenesis and treatment. While some of these advances have been through new approaches and ideas that have emerged in the last decade such as the newly identified protective role that amyloid proteins may play in MS or the use of helminths to treat autoimmune diseases, others have evolved from previous theories and ideas that have only now gained momentum and a deeper understanding such as the role of HLA or gender in MS susceptibility. This book covers these emerging and evolving topics and highlights the substantial advancements made in elucidation of the factors regulating susceptibility or disease progression, identification of new ways to monitor or predict MS pathology, and development of new strategies for treating MS.

Volume 76 of Advances in Cancer Research continues the series' goal of publishing timely and authoritative reviews in the broad field of cancer research. Ruoslahti begins the volume with a review of fibronectin and its integrin receptors in cancer. Chapter 2 by Ganter and Lipsick discusses Myb and oncogenesis. Biscardi and colleagues present their research on c-Src, receptor tyrosine kinases, and human cancer in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 by Schulz covers epidemiology of Kaposi's sarcoma and associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus 8. The consensus on synergism between cigarette smoke and other environmental carcinogens in the causation of lung cancer is reviewed by Reif and Heeren in Chapter 5. In Chapter 6, Breivik and Gaudernack discuss perspectives on carcinogenesis and natural selection in the genetics and epigenetics of colorectal cancer. Chapter 7 by Coulie and co-workers concludes the volume with a discussion of anti-tumor immunity at work in a melanoma patient.

This volume includes papers originally presented at the 7th annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS'98) held in July of 1998 at the Fess Parker Doubletree Inn in Santa Barbara, California. The CNS meetings bring together computational neuroscientists representing many different fields and backgrounds as well as many different experimental preparations and theoretical approaches. The papers published here range from pure experimental neurobiology, to neuro-ethology, mathematics, physics, and engineering. In all cases the research described is focused on understanding how nervous systems compute. The actual subjects of the research include a highly diverse number of preparations, modeling approaches, and analysis techniques. Accordingly, this volume reflects the breadth and depth of current research in computational neuroscience taking place throughout the world.

This volume will detail the current state and perspectives of autophagy-based cancer therapy. Covering a wide range of topics, it will include an overview of autophagy as a therapeutic target in cancer, autophagy modulators as cancer therapeutic agents, implications of micro-RNA-regulated autophagy in cancer therapy, modulation of autophagy through targeting PI3 kinase in cancer therapy, targeting autophagy in cancer stem cells, and roles of autophagy in cancer immunotherapy. In addition, the volume will review applications of system biology and bioinformatics approaches to discovering cancer therapeutic targets in the autophagy regulatory network. The volume will be beneficial for a variety of basic and clinical scientists, including cancer biologists, autophagy researchers, pharmacologists, and clinical oncologists who wish to delve more deeply into this field of cancer research. This volume will be the first book to focus solely on autophagy as a target in cancer therapy. As well, it will comprehensively discuss the roles of autophagy in most currently available cancer treatments.

Volume 47 of "Progress in Drug Research" contains eight reviews and the various indexes which facilitate its use and establish the connection with the previous volumes. The articles in this volume deal with inotropic steroids, with chemokines and their involvement in a wide range of inflam matory diseases, with the subclassification and nomenclature of ul- and Uz-adrenoceptors, with Chinese traditional medicine, with drug targets in the molecular pathogenesis of asthma, with cytokines and their therapeutic application in immunosuppression and immunostimulation, with alter native medicine and with the potential use of calcium blockers in psy chiatry. These reviews and the quotations of original articles provide the reader with valuable information on several new developments in the world-wide search for new and better medicines. In 1959, when the Editor started this series of monographs, it was his intention to help disseminate informa tion on the vast and fast growing domain of drug research. Already at that time,it was not possible to follow the major individual publications in this field, and the reader was thereby provided with a tool to keep abreast of the latest developments and trends. This goal remained unchanged over the last 37 years, and I believe that the reviews in PDR are useful to the non-specialist who can obtain an overview of a particular field of drug research in a relatively short time.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Every year, about 33,700 people in the United States will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and over 32,000 patients will die from the disease. The median survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is about 6-months. This dismal picture of pancreatic cancer is mainly due to the lack of early diagnosis and effective treatment for patients with advanced disease. To increase the survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients, better tumor markers for diagnosis and new molecular targets for drug development are desperately needed. A lot of effort has been made in searching for pancreatic cancer-causing genes or genes associated with progression of malignant behavior in pancreatic cancer. As a result, alterations in the expression of several cancer-related genes have been identified in pancreatic tumors. The identification and characterization of these cancer-related genes have significantly increased our understanding of pancreatic cancer development, but unfortunately the treatment of pancreatic cancer has not advanced as much in the past 20 years.

Over the past decade, tremendous advances have been made in the field of cancer drug discovery, particularly, in the area of molecular and genetic models and technologies. Many of those advanced models and technologies have been applied to the drug discovery processes for pancreatic cancer. In this book, a team of experts will describe the latest development in the application of these models and technologies in pancreatic cancer. The authors include basic researchers as well as clinicians who work in the front-line of the war against pancreatic cancer and have the first-hand experience on these cutting-edge tools and techniques. The book can be divided into two general areas: 1) model systems and 2) genomics and proteomics tools. In recent years there have been a lot of advances in the model systems for pancreatic cancer, including the further characterization of normal and cancerous pancreatic cell lines, the establishment of transgenic mouse models that recapitulate the initiation and progression of human pancreatic cancer, the development of a new xenograft model system for the evaluation of novel agents, and the establishment of a zebrafish pancreatic cancer model. The first four chapters of the book will be devoted to these models. The advances in genomics and proteomics research have made a major impact in cancer drug discovery. A number of these omics-based tools and techniques have been applied in the pancreatic cancer drug discovery. Chapters 5-9 of the book will discuss techniques for genome-wide examination of gene expression, copy number, methylation, function and regulation. Chapters 10-11 will discuss in situ techniques for studying chromosomal and gene copy number abnormalities as well protein expression changes in cancer samples. Chapters 12-14 will focus on techniques for global examination of protein expression levels in biospecimens obtained from pancreatic cancer patients. Cancer drug discovery has become more and more target-centric. "

The title "Nano Biotechnology for Biomedical and Diagnostics Research" will address research aspects related to nanomaterial in imaging and biological research, nanomaterials as a biosensing tool, DNA nanotechnology, nanomaterials for drug delivery, medicinal and therapeutic application and cytotoxicity of nanomaterials. These topics will be covered by 16 different manuscripts. Amongst the authors that will contribute to the book are major scientific leaders such as S. Weiss - UCLA, I. Willner, and G. Golomb -- HUJI, S. Esener - UCSD, E.C. Simmel - Tech. Univ. Munchen, I. Medintz -- NRL, N. Hildebrandt - Universit Paris and more. The manuscripts in the book intend to present specifically biological, diagnostics and medical problems with their potential solution by nano technology or materials. In this respect this book is unique, since it would arise from the biological problems to the nano technology possible solution and not vice versa.

Metabolic Bone Disease, Third Edition is the new, expanded edition of the classic text, featuring the latest advancements and research information in this fast-moving field. The Third Edition includes the most up-to-date information on molecular mechanisms, basic biology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis and management strategies of metabolic bone disease.
Key Features
* Edited by "fathers of the field"
* An expanded version of a classic AP text
* Complete coverage of a fast-growing field

The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) is an organelle with extraordinary signaling and homeostatic functions. It is the organelle responsible for protein folding, maturation, quality control and trafficking of proteins destined for the plasma membrane or for secretion into the extracellular environment. Failure, overloading or malfunctioning of any of the signaling or quality control mechanisms occurring in the ER may provoke a stress condition known as ER stress . Accumulating evidence indicates that ER stress may dramatically perturb interactions between the cell and its environment, and contribute to the development of human diseases, ranging from metabolic diseases and cancer to neurodegenerative diseases, or impact therapeutic outcome. This book primarily focuses on the pathophysiology of ER stress. It introduces the molecular bases of ER stress, the emerging relevance of the ER-mitochondria cross-talk, the signaling pathways engaged and cellular responses to ER stress, including the adaptive Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), autophagy as well as cell death. Next the book addresses the role of ER stress in physiology and in the etiology of relevant pathological conditions, like carcinogenesis and inflammation, neurodegeneration and metabolic disease. The last chapter describes how ER stress pathways can be targeted for therapeutic benefit. Altogether, this book will provide the reader with an exhaustive view of ER stress biology and the latest insights in the role of ER stress in relevant human diseases."

The application of molecular techniques to gastroenterology continues to yield important advances in the development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Important new drugs have emerged through the collaborative and complementary efforts of basic scientists, clinicians, and clinical researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry. The challenge has been exciting, with a few surprises along the way. Consider peptic ulcer disease as an example. The discovery of H receptors and the availability of potent and 2 selective H-receptor antagonists signaled the beginning of a new era 2 in the treatment of gastric hypersecretory states and peptic ulcers. Introduction of proton pump inhibitors offered another therapeutic option. Though H-receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors 2 are important and useful drugs, the discovery of the link between H. pylori infection and peptic ulcer disease has led to even more effective pharmacotherapeutic regimens. Our intent in Drug Development: Molecular Targets for GI Diseases is to bring together hands-on experts to review promising areas of gastrointestinal pharmacology. The contemporary topics covered, from a mechanistic viewpoint, are relevant to gastrointestinal inflammation and motility disorders. Authoritative opinions are offered on both future research directions and potential applications for new therapies.

Multivariate analysis is a mainstay of statistical tools in the analysis of biomedical data. It concerns with associating data matrices of n rows by p columns, with rows representing samples (or patients) and columns attributes of samples, to some response variables, e.g., patients outcome. Classically, the sample size n is much larger than p, the number of variables. The properties of statistical models have been mostly discussed under the assumption of fixed p and infinite n. The advance of biological sciences and technologies has revolutionized the process of investigations of cancer. The biomedical data collection has become more automatic and more extensive. We are in the era of p as a large fraction of n, and even much larger than n. Take proteomics as an example. Although proteomic techniques have been researched and developed for many decades to identify proteins or peptides uniquely associated with a given disease state, until recently this has been mostly a laborious process, carried out one protein at a time. The advent of high throughput proteome-wide technologies such as liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy make it possible to generate proteomic signatures that facilitate rapid development of new strategies for proteomics-based detection of disease. This poses new challenges and calls for scalable solutions to the analysis of such high dimensional data. In this volume, we will present the systematic and analytical approaches and strategies from both biostatistics and bioinformatics to the analysis of correlated and high-dimensional data.

Engineered antibodies currently represent over 30% of biopharmaceuticals in clinical trials and their total worldwide sales continue to increase significantly. The importance of antibody applications is reflected in their increasing clinical and industrial applications as well as in the progression of established and emerging production strategies. This volume provides detailed coverage of the generation, optimization, characterization, production and applications of antibody. It provides the necessary theoretical background and description of methods for the expression of antibody in microbial and animal cell cultures and in transgenic animals and plants. There is a strong focus on those issues related to the production of intrabodies, bispecific antibody and antibody fragments and also to novel applications in cancer immunotherapy.

Over the last decade the development of new molecular biology tools, advanced microscopy, live imaging and systems biology approaches have revolutionized our conception of how embryonic development proceeds. One fundamental aspect of development biology is the concept of morphogenesis: understanding how a group of multipotent cells organize and differentiate into a complex organ. In Kidney Development: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail different approaches to tackle kidney development. These approaches include culture and live imaging aspects of kidney development, analyzing the 3-dimensional aspects of branching morphogenesis as well as nephrogenesis, manipulation of the gene/protein expression during kidney development as well as in the adult kidney, and how to assess kidney malformation and disease. 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, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Kidney Development: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in the further study of the process of morphogenesis which is fundamental important not only for studying developmental biology but also for regenerative medicine.

Exercise Genomics encompasses the translation of exercise genomics into preventive medicine by presenting a broad overview of the rapidly expanding research examining the role of genetics and genomics within the areas of exercise performance and health-related physical activity. Leading researchers from a number of the key exercise genomics research groups around the world have been brought together to provide updates and analysis on the key discoveries of the past decade, as well as lend insights and opinion about the future of exercise genomics, especially within the contexts of translational and personalized medicine. Clinicians, researchers and health/fitness professionals will gain up-to-date background on the key findings and critical unanswered questions across several areas of exercise genomics, including performance, body composition, metabolism, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Importantly, basic information on genomics, research methods, and statistics are presented within the context of exercise science to provide students and professionals with the foundation from which to fully engage with the more detailed chapters covering specific traits.

Exercise Genomics will be of great value to health/fitness professionals and graduate students in kinesiology, public health and sports medicine desiring to learn more about the translation of exercise genomics into preventive medicine.

Kidney Development and Disease brings together established and young investigators who are leading authorities in nephrology to describe recent advances in three primary areas of research. The first section describes the use of animal models as powerful tools for the discovery of numerous molecular mechanisms regulating kidney development. The second section focuses on nephric cell renewal and differentiation, which lead to diverse cell fates within the developing kidney, and discusses diseases resulting from the aberrant regulation of the balance between cell fate decisions. The final section concentrates on morphogenesis of the developing kidney and its maintenance after formation as well as the diseases resulting from failures in these processes. Kidney form and function have been extensively studied for centuries, leading to discoveries related to their development and disease. Recent scientific advances in molecular and imaging techniques have broadened our understanding of nephron development and maintenance as well as the diseases related to these processes.

This new edition of Animal Models in Cardiovascular Research describes historical and recent advances in our understanding of the cardiovascular system from studies conducted in a variety of animal models. Since the last edition we have witnessed an explosion in the use of both congenic and transgenic animals. The use of specific knock-in and knock-out transgenic models has resulted in an avalanche of genetic, molecular and protein-based information that, potentially, could result in an amazing new array of treatment and management options. However, the results of these studies also introduce a sometime bewildering array of redundant, overlapping and competing molecular pathways involved in both physiological and pathological responses.

This third edition is designed to provide a better basis for understanding and using animal models in the current climate of background knowledge and information. It is significantly different than the previous two editions. Chapter 1 is updated from the previous editions addressing general principles of animal selection. It also provides expanded tables of normal physiological values for easy reference. Chapter 2 covers preoperative care, pre-anesthesia, chemical restraint, and includes a significantly expanded section on pain recognition and analgesia particularly in rodents. Chapter 3 provides a summary of normal cardiovascular parameters obtained from intact, awake animals. The data have been rearranged in outline rather than the previous tabular form hopefully resulting in easier reference.

Chapter 4 addresses the techniques, problems and pitfalls of measuring cardiac function in animals. There is an emphasis on the proper use of these measurements to develop new treatment and management strategies as well as using them to study mechanisms of disease. Chapter 5 emphasizes the techniques, problems and pitfalls involved in the measurement of arterial function and ventricular/arterial coupling dynamics. Again the emphasis is on the use of these parameters to develop new treatment and management strategies and for studying the mechanisms of disease. Chapter 6 is a all new chapter dealing specifically with the problems and pitfalls inherent in using isolated heart preparations. The need for this chapter became apparent because so much information was published using obviously non-physiologic preparations. The use of both pumping and non-pumping preparations are described along with techniques necessary for using hearts from larger species where oxygen carrying capacity of the perfusate is critical. The importance of hypoxia and anoxia in the interpretation of results is discussed.

Chapter 7 focuses on the cardiovascular effects of the post-operative analgesic drugs commonly used today and how to avoid potential problems resulting from these effects when reporting experimental data. These data are also presented in outline form rather than the tabular format used in the two previous editions. Chapter 8 addresses the use of naturally occurring animal models of valvular and infectious cardiovascular disease. The information presented has been updated and expanded from the second edition. Chapter 9 examines iatrogenic models of ischemic heart disease.

Chapter 10 is new. It provides a review of iatrogenic, transgenic and naturally occurring animal models of cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Chapter 11 includes new, updated and revised information reviewing iatrogenic and transgenic models of hypertension. Chapter 12 contains new, and updated information on iatrogenic and transgenic models of atherosclerotic disease.

Chapter 13 is completely new material dealing with animal models for the study of neurohumeral and central nervous system control of the cardiovascular system. Chapter 14 is also new. It provides examples of cardiovascular studies involving the use of specific transgenic models not normally associated with the cardiovascular system, such as estrogen receptor knockouts, to study cardiovascular function.

This superb account of the development of scientific research in the state of Baden places the growth of big science in 19th century Germany within a broad social and economic context. The book analyses the growth of scientific research and its institutionalization in the state university system. With the focus on the experimental sciences, the book explores the introduction of the research ethic into the university medical curriculum, and the process by which laboratory science came to be an essential pedagogical tool in the education of the future citizens of the state. The social and economic changes that ultimately transformed Germany into a modern industrial state are considered. It was within this setting that laboratory training, once considered inappropriate for university studies, slowly increased in status, and dissatisfaction with the overly theoretical education traditionally offered by the universities began to grow. Thus, much like computers today, the scientific method in the nineteenth century came to represent an instrument for teaching not only specific skills but also a particular way of approaching, analysing, and solving the problems of an industrializing economy. This compelling volume will be of interest to historians of science, medicine, and European studies.

The year 2010 marks the centennial for the identification of histamine and the first glimpse of its many physiological functions. From these initial findings a rich tapestry of research has uncovered roles for histamine in almost every physiological process with new findings emerging every year. These diverse roles of histamine have made for fertile ground for the discovery of novel therapeutics, and these drugs have been so successful that the term "antihistamine" has entered the common lexicon. This volume is an attempt to give a snapshot in time as to the current understanding of the role of histamine in just one important therapeutic area-inflammation. The first three chapters provide some background context for the rest of the book starting out with a historical perspective by Figueroa and Shankley. Bongers et al provide an overview of the pharmacology of the four histamine receptors and the chapter by Hiroshi Ohtsu describes how histamine is synthesized as well as the insights derived from mice where this synthesis is disrupted. The next several chapters discuss disease areas where histamine is known to be involved. Chapter 4 by Thomas Taylor-Clark outlines the role of histamine in allergic rhinitis, an area were antihistamines are commonly used. This is also true for ocular allergy as discussed by Ohbayashi et al. Both of these chapters highlight aspects of these conditions that are still not well-controlled and suggest the utility of new antihistamines targeting other histamine receptors.

If there is one aspect of current cancer research that represents a major ch- lenge in both novice and experienced researchers, it is the rapid advance in our understanding of the disease. Researchers can be required to switch from analysis of gene expression to kinetics of protein activation, from genetic studies to the analysis of protein funtion. Cancers are highly complex disease systems and researchers aiming to understand the functioning of cancer systems require access to a wide range of laboratory techiques from a broad range of research disciplines. Increasingly, however, published methods are incomplete or refer back to a series of previous publications each containing only a small part of the complete pro- col. The aim of Ovarian Cancer: Methods and Protocols is to provide for ovarian cancer researchers in the first instance, a laboratory handbook that will facilitate research into cancer systems by providing a series of expert protocols, with proven efficacy, across a broad range of technical expertise. Thus, there are sections on tumor genetics and cellular signal transduction, as well as sections on apoptosis and RNA analysis. The value of Ovarian Cancer: Methods and Protocols to the ovarian cancer researcher will, I trust, be considerably enhanced by (1) the provision of a series of overviews relating to the biology, diagnosis, and treatment of this important neoplasm, and (2) the provision of a series of technical overviews introducing each part that provides an expert review of the applications and pitfalls of the various techniques included.

This unique book is the proceedings of The Future of Life and the Future of our Civilization symposium, which was held in May of 2005 in Germany. It is unique since it contains articles of the Future in all aspects of our life. Besides, until now such publications are absent. In this book we can find articles about the spread of life trough out the cosmos and about solar evolution, about origin of life and about cardiology in XXIst century, about structural regularities of encoding in DNA chromosomes, about preservation of biodiversity in marine systems and about defeat of aging, about life-time of technological civilization and about the future of the poor, marginalized populations, about the early cancer diagnositcs of skin, about human clonius and about transition to the next level civilization."

Antibiotics are truly miracle drugs. As a class, they are one of the only ones that actually cure disease as opposed to most drugs that only help relieve symptoms or control disease. Since bacteria that cause serious disease in humans are becoming more and more resistant to the antibiotics we have today, and because they will ultimately become resistant to any antibiotic that we use for treatment or for anything else, we need a steady supply of new antibiotics active against any resistant bacteria that arise. However, the antibiotics marketplace is no longer attractive for large pharmaceutical companies, the costs of development are skyrocketing because of ever more stringent requirements by the regulatory agencies, and finding new antibiotics active against resistant strains is getting harder and harder. These forces are all combining to deny us these miracle drugs when we need them the most. I provide a number of possible paths to shelter from this perfect storm.

MicroRNA research and development is the billion-dollar baby and most lucrative option for drug discovery in gene therapy industries worldwide. Personalized microRNA treatments are in many cases the only remedy for viral diseases that have no cure in conventional drugs and offer to bring us closer than ever to "personalized medicine." They also counteract cancer and other infectious and neuro-diseases. Early diagnosis, prognosis, staging, and sub-classification of various cancers can easily be facilitated by microRNA-based biomarkers. MicroRNA surveys recent advances in RNA and RNA-protein components that highlight RNA delivery, its stability, and applications of RNA-based drugs for the modulation of gene/protein expression and gene editing. The book not only focuses on the modern medicines of microRNA-based early diagnostic and therapy development, but also works as a hidden treasure for drug discovery of multiple rare diseases worldwide. It offers indispensable learning materials for academic researchers, graduate, and medical students, and offers a powerful practical guide for RNA-Pharma and gene therapy industries.

This book, an international collaborative effort in the area of molecular respiratory research, showcases a broad range of multidisciplinary approaches to unravel and analyze the underlying mechanisms of a spectrum of respiratory ailments. It discusses immunological and genetic respiratory disorders, cancer, respiratory allergies and cough, sleep disordered breathing and many others. Exciting new results and up-to-date critical overviews of widely debated topics pertaining to respiratory disorders are presented. The contributions provide evidence for the growing interest of the international community of researchers in the field of respiration. The book incorporates modern molecular approaches to diagnostic and treatment solutions, underscoring the need for rational, evidence-based treatment methods. Combining cutting edge basic and clinical research with expert knowledge and experience this book is essential reading for medical students, research scientists and practicing specialists in pulmonology, immunology and allergology.

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 is unique in covering a wide range of design and analysis issues in genetic studies of rare variants, taking advantage of collaboration of the editors with many experts in the field through large-scale international consortia including the UK10K Project, GO-T2D and T2D-GENES. Chapters provide details of state-of-the-art methodology for rare variant detection and calling, imputation and analysis in samples of unrelated individuals and families. The book also covers analytical issues associated with the study of rare variants, such as the impact of fine-scale population structure, and with combining information on rare variants across studies in a meta-analysis framework. Genetic association studies have in the last few years substantially enhanced our understanding of factors underlying traits of high medical importance, such as body mass index, lipid levels, blood pressure and many others. There is growing empirical evidence that low-frequency and rare variants play an important role in complex human phenotypes. This book covers multiple aspects of study design, analysis and interpretation for complex trait studies focusing on rare sequence variation. In many areas of genomic research, including complex trait association studies, technology is in danger of outstripping our capacity to analyse and interpret the vast amounts of data generated. The field of statistical genetics in the whole-genome sequencing era is still in its infancy, but powerful methods to analyse the aggregation of low-frequency and rare variants are now starting to emerge. The chapter Functional Annotation of Rare Genetic Variants is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.