The title of this monograph, Brain Tumor Research and Therapy, is the name of the Conference itself, which had its inaugural meeting in the United States in 1975 andhas since progressed to the international scale. In Japan, the first conference ofits kind was organized by Dr. Takao Hoshino and me and was held at Nikko in 1980, hence its name, the Nikko Conference on Brain Tumor Research and Therapy. Though it started as a small, closed meeting, the conference has grown considerably, and in 1992 it was reorganized as the Japanese Conference on Brain Tumor Research and Therapy and was opened to all neurosurgeons and neuropathologists interested in the study of brain tumor problems and who are participating in this field. The main purpose of the Conference on Brain Tumor Research and Therapy is the candid and informed discussion of the most up-to-date developments in basic re search and clinical treatment of brain tumors. The 3rd Japanese Conference on Brain Tumor Research and Therapy was held at Nasu (Tochigi Prefecture), Japan, in No vember 1994. It was a great honor to welcome many distinguished guests from over seas who kindly attended each session and made valuable contributions.

Interest in the ability of myocardium to adapt to ischaemic stress has continued to grow since the discovery of ischaemic preconditioning in 1986. In 1993, two reports heralded the recognition of a delayed preconditioning response in the heart, now commonly known as the second window' of protection. Since then, a number of studies have described the ability of delayed preconditioning and related adaptive phenomena to protect against a variety of pathologies in the ischaemic and reperfused myocardium. Our understanding of the cellular mechanisms of sub-acute adaptive cardioprotection has advanced considerably during this period. This compilation of state-of-the-art reviews by those who have made significant contributions to this field provides detailed and critical analysis of this research, from molecular basis to potential clinical relevance. The book aims to provide an authoritative, comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date overview for scientists and clinicians engaged in, or observing, this rapidly-developing area of heart research. It will also be of interest to those engaged in research on other tissues where ischaemia-reperfusion pathology is of major concern.

The aim of this volume is to provide a wide range of techniques and aspects of mouse retinal phenotyping and characterization. Chapters guide readers through morphological and functional properties of the mouse retina and techniques for the analysis of outer to mid-retina and mid- to inner retina. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Mouse Retinal Phenotyping: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

Carl Edward Sagan's (1934-1996) one of the famous quotation was "Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." From past to date, well-known molecules, enzymes, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates are studied in the pathogenesis of several diseases both as a diagnostic/prognostic biomarker and therapeutic agent. The underlying mechanism of unexplained diseases and failure of therapies are frequently studied with well-known biomarkers, but remain unclear in many cases. As Dr. Sagan said other keys are still waiting to be known in some forgotten corner of a body universe, we find strength to propose that one of them can be the growth factor with cytokine activity named "Midkine" This book summarizes the extensive up-to-date literature overeview with the lastest work of experts about midkine in a detailed format that conveys its role as both a pathologic factor and therapeutic agent.

Continuous regeneration of the cornea is necessary to maintain this tissue in the transparent state that is essential for vision. Therapy for repair of the damaged anterior cornea is currently addressed through the transplantation of donor corneas or the delivery of limbal epithelial stem cells (LESC) to the ocular surface using amniotic membrane (AM) as a supporting scaffold. Research on the bioengineering of corneal equivalents as replacement tissue is underway to develop viable corneal prosthetics. Corneal Regenerative Medicine: Methods and Protocols provides a concise overview of essential techniques in the field of corneal regenerative medicine, highlighting novel strategies to guide the management of key therapies within this area of medicine. Divided into four convenient sections, topics include the identification, characterisation and cultivation of LESC, as well as the investigation of biopolymers used as the basis for corneal substitutes. Written in the 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 protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Corneal Regenerative Medicine: Methods and Protocols covers the fundamental techniques useful for both the laboratory and clinical settings.

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.

This volume explores the latest techniques used by researchers to help them better understand the NMDAR structure-function relations, principles, and rules that govern how NMDARs operate in brain processing. The volume includes a detailed introductory chapter describing the field and is divided into three parts. Topics covered in the volume include: quantification of NMDAR subunit genes expression by qRT-PCR; detection of NMDARs antibodies in encephalitis; recombinant channels in host cells using a fast agonist application system; GluNs detection and functions in microglial cells; and NMDARs as voltage sensors. 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 practical, NMDA Receptors: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource that discusses the diversity of the currently-used methods, the importance of NMDARs and their complexity, and the progress that has already been made. This book will be of interest to scientists, clinicians, and industry professionals working in this field.

This volume provides insight into recent developments on experimental and clinical strategies for cancer gene therapy. Gene Therapy of Solid Cancers: Methods and Protocols guides readers through protocols on gene therapeutic strategies in combination with helpful technical notes. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Concise and easy-to-use, Gene Therapy of Solid Cancers: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

For two decades, Understanding Clinical Papers has been helping students and professionals understand the research that supports evidence-based practice. Now in its fourth edition, this popular introductory textbook covers every major aspect of reading and evaluating clinical research literature, from identifying the aims and objectives of a paper to analysing the data with different multivariable methods. Numerous excerpts from actual clinical research papers make learning real and immediate, supported by a unique visual approach that reinforces key points and connects examples with the chapter material. The fourth edition includes extensively revised content throughout, including four brand-new chapters covering qualitative studies, Poisson regression, studies of complex interventions, and research using previously collected data. New and updated material discusses the difference between clinical and statistical significance, the consequences of multiple testing and methods of correction, how topic guides are used to explore and explain participants' experiences, standardised guidelines for writing trials and reviews, and much more. Offering clear explanations of important research-related topics, this reader-friendly resource: Offers a clear, concise, and accessible approach to learning how to read and analyse clinical research literature Features new coverage of qualitative research, including descriptive studies, sampling and populations, and identifying, summarising, and measuring qualitative characteristics Provides new material on missing data, sub-group analysis, feasibility and pilot studies, cluster randomised trials, and adaptive trial designs Includes new tables, abstracts, and excerpts from recent clinical research literature Understanding Clinical Papers is essential reading for all healthcare professionals and students, particularly those involved in clinical work and medical research, as well as general readers wanting to improve their understanding of research literature.

Is talent the only key to scientific success? In fact, the answer is: No'. Management and organisation do make a real, significant difference between success and failure in science. This book presents a clear survey of the critical success factors in biomedical research laboratories. Based on an international, comparative study of 71 research laboratories in medical faculties, large health research institutes and innovative pharmaceutical companies, ready-to-use guidelines are offered to those who are responsible for the management of research groups. Dr. Omta is biochemist and has played a key role in the development of the EU Biotechnology Network. He has performed the comparative study for this book in the position of Managing Director of the Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine in Amsterdam. The author has recently been appointed as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Management and Organisation at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. This work is a unique guide for heads, professors, or managers of (biomedical) research laboratories in universities, research institutes and innovative pharmaceutical companies, who are seeking rational tools for increasing the performance and effectiveness of their research groups.

Cutting edge technologies can propel a simple finding in basic science to a concept that can be of immense value to the society. While applying novel techniques to unravel the mysteries of biological processes, an offshoot of applied branch emerged. This field, which is now widely referred to as Translational Research utilizes basic science findings and translates these findings into innovative concepts for the benefit of mankind. This branch of science has evolved into a multidisciplinary juggernaut encompassing all known fields of science as varied as biomedicine, environment, law, economics, sociology, etc. With the ever increasing interest in this branch and the dreams and aspirations that this field can bring, basic science researchers are now taking a bold step into this new realm, merging different fields of knowledge to come up with novel inventions. This book "Translational research in environmental and occupational stress" provides and insight into the research that led to discoveries, inventions and development of novel technologies which will have a tremendous impact on the future of mankind.

This book introduces the reader to modern computational and statistical tools for translational epigenomics research. Over the last decade, epigenomics has emerged as a key area of molecular biology, epidemiology and genome medicine. Epigenomics not only offers us a deeper understanding of fundamental cellular biology, but also provides us with the basis for an improved understanding and management of complex diseases. From novel biomarkers for risk prediction, early detection, diagnosis and prognosis of common diseases, to novel therapeutic strategies, epigenomics is set to play a key role in the personalized medicine of the future. In this book we introduce the reader to some of the most important computational and statistical methods for analyzing epigenomic data, with a special focus on DNA methylation. Topics include normalization, correction for cellular heterogeneity, batch effects, clustering, supervised analysis and integrative methods for systems epigenomics. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in bioinformatics, biostatistics, biologists and clinicians alike. Dr. Andrew E. Teschendorff is Head of the Computational Systems Genomics Lab at the CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai, China, as well as an Honorary Research Fellow at the UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, UK.

Cancer drug discovery has been and continues to be a process of ingenuity, serendip ity, and dogged determination. In an effort to develop and discover better therapies against cancer, investigators all over the world have increased our knowledge of cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The goal has been to define therapeuti cally exploitable differences between normal and malignant cells. The result has been an increased understanding of cellular and whole-organism biology and an increased respect for the flexibility and resiliency ofbiologically systems. Thus, as some new therapeutic targets have been defined and new therapeutic strategies have been attempted, so have some new biological hurdles resulting from tumor evasion of the intended therapeutic attack been discovered. Historically, anticancer drugs have originated from all available chemical sources. Synthetic molecules from the chemical industry, especially dyestuffs and warfare agents, and natural products from plants, microbes, and fungi have all been potential sources of pharmaceuticals, including anticancer agents. There is no shortage of molecules; the challenge has been and continues to be methods of identifying molecules that have the potential to be therapeutically important in human malignant disease. "Screening" remains the most important and most controversial method in cancer drug discovery. In vitro screens have generally focused on cytotoxicity and have identified several highly cytotoxic molecules. Other endpoints available in vitro are inhibition of proliferation, 3 inhibition of [ H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and various viability assays, based most frequently on dye exclusion or metabolism.

Pancreatic islets make up the endocrine pancreas and they contain the only source of insulin in the body, beta cells. Hence, access to high quality preparations of pancreatic islets is fundamental for in vitro studies and to test pre-clinical applications in animal models in vivo. Access to healthy human islets is also crucial to improve transplantation procedures for diabetes. Given the susceptibility of pancreatic islets to the enzymatic digestion and mechanical stress required to obtain them, the isolation of islets is often considered as the delicate "work of a craftsman". This book, which is aimed at beginners and experts alike, is a survey of the current state-of-the-art in this field and it centres on the challenges, pitfalls and peculiarities of pancreatic islet isolation in the different species used in pre-clinical and clinical applications. It explores the similarities and differences between human islets and those from other relevant species (rodents, pigs and non-human primates), and how these influence islet isolation. The ultimate goal of this book is to improve the outcome of islet isolation and transplantation in pre-clinical and clinical applications.

The use of human beings as research subjects poses distinctive ethical issues. Subjects of medical research are exposed to risks of harm for the sake of generating scientific knowledge that can benefit future patients and society. Ethical analysis of the challenges posed by research involving human subjects requires careful attention to the contextual details of scientific experimentation. This book contains 22 essays by Franklin G. Miller on research ethics written over a 15-year period. With the exception of the first essay, all have been previously published in bioethics and medical journals. The book is arranged into four parts. Part One addresses a general ethical perspective on the protection of human subjects in clinical research, including paternalism in research regulation and acceptable limits to research risks. The essays in Part Two examine ethical issues in study design. It includes ethical analyses of controversial types of medical experimentation-studies that provoke psychiatric symptoms, induce infections, provide patients with placebos that withhold proven effective treatments or administer fake invasive procedures, test experimental treatments in cancer patients who have exhausted all standard treatment options, and employ the use of deception to generate scientifically valid data. Part Three offers a systematic critique of "the therapeutic orientation" to clinical trials and the principle of clinical equipoise, which is widely regarded as a fundamental norm for randomized treatment studies. Part Four takes up a range of ethical issues relating to informed consent for research participation, including examination of "the therapeutic misconception" and presentation of a novel approach to the validity of consent: "the fair transaction model." An abiding theme, developed in many of the essays is that the ethics of clinical research is importantly different from the ethics of medical care.

This book provides the most updated information of how membrane lipids mediate protein signaling from studies carried out in animal and plant cells. Also, there are some chapters that go beyond and expand these studies of protein-lipid interactions at the structural level. The book begins with a literature review from investigations associated to sphingolipids, followed by studies that describe the role of phosphoinositides in signaling and closing with the function of other key lipids in signaling at the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles.

Applied Photochemistry encompasses the major applications of the chemical effects resulting from light absorption by atoms and molecules in chemistry, physics, medicine and engineering, and contains contributions from specialists in these key areas. Particular emphasis is placed both on how photochemistry contributes to these disciplines and on what the current developments are. The book starts with a general description of the interaction between light and matter, which provides the general background to photochemistry for non-specialists. The following chapters develop the general synthetic and mechanistic aspects of photochemistry as applied to both organic and inorganic materials, together with types of materials which are useful as light absorbers, emitters, sensitisers, etc. for a wide variety of applications. A detailed discussion is presented on the photochemical processes occurring in the Earth's atmosphere, including discussion of important current aspects such as ozone depletion. Two important distinct, but interconnected, applications of photochemistry are in photocatalytic treatment of wastes and in solar energy conversion. Semiconductor photochemistry plays an important role in these and is discussed with reference to both of these areas. Free radicals and reactive oxygen species are of major importance in many chemical, biological and medical applications of photochemistry, and are discussed in depth. The following chapters discuss the relevance of using light in medicine, both with various types of phototherapy and in medical diagnostics. The development of optical sensors and probes is closely related to diagnostics, but is also relevant to many other applications, and is discussed separately. Important aspects of applied photochemistry in electronics and imaging, through processes such as photolithography, are discussed and it is shown how this is allowing the increasing miniaturisation of semiconductor devices for a wide variety of electronics applications and the development of nanometer scale devices. The final two chapters provide the basic ideas necessary to set up a photochemical laboratory and to characterise excited states. This book is aimed at those in science, engineering and medicine who are interested in applying photochemistry in a broad spectrum of areas. Each chapter has the basic theories and methods for its particular applications and directs the reader to the current, important literature in the field, making Applied Photochemistry suitable for both the novice and the experienced photochemist.

Modern cell biology has brought improvements in therapy for advanced malignant diseases through immunomodulation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and other advanced techniques. Collected here are selected papers from the Fifth International Symposium of Keio University for Life Sciences and Medicine on Cell Therapy.
All chapters include innovative basic research for clinical application: immunotherapy, cancer vaccination, molecular biology of hematopoietic stem cells, stem cell processing, and gene therapy.
The book is divided into three parts: Immunotherapy for malignant diseases; Hematopoietic stem cell biology and clinical application; and International collaboration in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Included in the third part is information on bone marrow registries from around the world.
The book thus presents up-to-date information on biological and clinical aspects of treatment, with insight into the future of cell therapy.

Timing, racing, combating, struggling and targeting are some actions through which cellular fate could be reflected and evaluated. Interaction between cell territory and environment occur during pre-embryonic, fetal development, and post-natal periods. What the researchers observe as the outcome of telomeres behavior is only the peak of an ice mountain within a stormy ocean. Cellular life depends on programmed behavior of telomeres, capable to surprise the cells. Telomeres provide an introduction to the history of our cells which govern the quality of life and status of health. Telomeres as the cooperative territory are capable of stabilizing the chromosomal territory. The status of telomeres reflects the key information, announcing the real age of individuals, and may be a valuable marker for prognosis and predicting cancer. Telomere territory is characterized with a multi-disciplinary manner. Therefore, this book is aimed to offer a wide range of chapters, hoping to be useful for diverse audiences, including hematologists-oncologists, radiotherapists, surgeons, cancer researchers, and all the sectors who affect the macro- and micro- environmental domains. Finally, telomeres are sensitive, cooperative, and trustable targets. It is worth to state that 'telomeres are messengers of NATURE', let's to know them as they are.

This edited volume describes cell-SELEX as the fundamental tool used to generate aptamer molecules for a wide range of applications in molecular medicine, bioanalysis and chemical biology. Easily integrated into the natural heterogeneous cell matrix, aptamers can be effectively used in theranostics, bioanalysis, environment detection and biomedical studies. The book gathers reviews that reflect the latest advances in the field of aptamers and consists in fourteen chapters demonstrating essential examples of these aptamers and aptamer-nanomaterial assemblies, depending on the types of applications and biological systems. It also includes a separate chapter on the utilization of aptamers in real clinics and what will be required to achieve this significant goal. The book will be both appealing and useful to a broad audience, including biologists, bioscientists, and clinicians whose interests range from chemistry and biomedical engineering to cell and molecular biology and biotechnology. Weihong Tan is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Hunan University, China and also a University of Florida Distinguished Professor and V.T. and Louis Jackson Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, USA. Xiaohong Fang is a Professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, alcoholism, substance abuse and others are some of the most debilitating illnesses worldwide characterized by the complexity of causes, and lacking the laboratory tests that may promote diagnostic and prognostic procedures. Recent advances in neuroscience, genomic, genetic, proteomic and metabolomic knowledge and technologies have opened the way to searching biomarkers and endophenotypes, which may offer powerful and exciting opportunities to understand the etiology and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders. The challenge now is to translate these advances into meaningful diagnostic and therapeutic advances.

This book offers a broad synthesis of the current knowledge about diverse topics of the biomarker and endophenotype strategies in neuropsychiatry. The book is organized into four interconnected volumes: Neuropsychological Endophenotypes and Biomarkers (with overview of methodological issues of the biomarker and endophenotype approaches in neuropsychiatry and some technological advances), Neuroanatomical and Neuroimaging Endophenotypes and Biomarkers, Metabolic and Peripheral Biomarkers and Molecular Genetic and Genomic Markers . The contributors are internationally and nationally recognized researchers and experts from 16 countries.

This four-volume handbook is intended for a broad spectrum of readers including neuroscientists, psychiatrists, neurologists, endocrinologists, pharmacologists, clinical psychologists, general practitioners, geriatricians, health care providers in the field of neurology and mental health interested in trends that have crystallized in the last decade, and trends that can be expected to further evolve in the coming years. It is hoped that this book will also be a useful resource for the teaching of psychiatry, neurology, psychology and mental health. "

Transporters in Drug Development examines how membrane transporters can be dealt with in academic-industrial drug discovery and pharmaceutical development as well as from a regulatory perspective. The book describes methods and examples of in vitro characterization of single transporters in the intestines, liver and kidneys as well as characterization of substrate overlap between various transporters. Furthermore, probes and biomarkers are suggested for studies of the transporters' impact on the pharmacokinetics of drug substrates/candidates interacting on transporters. The challenges of translating in vitro observed interaction of transporters into in vivo relevance are explored, and the book highlights perspectives of applying targeted proteomics and mechanistic modeling in this process.

Initially believed to be inactive molecules, glycans are now considered essential for life, both under normal and pathological conditions.

This volume of the series "Biology of Extracellular Matrix " reviews the most recent findings on the role of glycans in the development of diseases and the possible therapeutic use of this class of molecules. It shows how the interaction of glycans with growth factors, growth factor binding proteins, extracellular proteases, protease inhibitors, chemokines, morphogens, and adhesive proteins regulates inflammation, infection, cancer, atherosclerosis, thrombosis and embryonic stem cell biology. Furthermore, an extensive survey about the structure and pharmacological effects of unique marine glycosaminoglycans is discussed as well as the possibility of using these glycans as therapeutic agents.

Give your patrons access to the digital content they need Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries is an essential guide to the challenges of acquiring, licensing, and managing the electronic access and use of books and journals. Medical librarians working in a variety of settings, including academic health centers, hospital libraries, and government health associations, provide entry-level, mid-career, and experienced librarians with comprehensive information and advice on dealing with electronic resources. This invaluable resource examines a wide range of issues, including collection development, pricing, open access, licensing, remote access, statistics, publisher liability, and the Semantic Web. As healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, and students rely more and more on digital content, medical libraries spend more and more time dealing with the complexities surrounding the use of e-resources. Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries examines the issues they face everyday, including the shift from print to electronic materials, off-campus and cross-campus access, usage statistics, journal pricing, open-access publishing, licensing, collection development, and much more. Topics addressed in Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries include: how to negotiate consortial packages how to use an electronic resource management (ERM) system how to create a portal to share electronic resources how to consolidate costs and provide wide access how open access affects pricing how to establish and maintain access to licensed e-resources how to develop a combined e-journal Web page how off-campus students interact with a full-service document delivery option for electronic journals how to integrate e-resources into an online catalog how to apply emerging Semantic Web technologies to digital libraries and much more Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries is an invaluable professional guide for medical and academic librarians, and a helpful classroom resource for faculty and students in library schools.

This volume focuses on recent advances in understanding T cells as key players in antitumor immune responses, and as a result T cell-based immunotherapy is starting to transform the treatment of advanced cancers. However, despite recent successes, many patients with cancer fail to respond to these treatments. Defective migration of T cells into and within tumors is considered as an important resistance mechanism to cancer immunotherapy.The volume includes three sections. The first section covers general knowledge about T cell trafficking during a normal immune response but also during tumor development. The second section provides an in-depth description of the different obstacles that prevent T cells from migrating and contacting tumor cells. The third section explores therapeutic strategies to improve trafficking of T cells into tumors and, thus, to enhance the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.