1. Gene Therapy.- Asthma.- 2. Genetics of Asthma.- 3. Transcription Factors and Inflammatory Lung Disease.- 4. Regulation of the Cytokine Gene Cluster on Chromosome 5q.- 5. Cytokine Expression in Asthma.- 6. ?-Adrenoceptors.- 7. Regulation of Eosinophil Migration.- 8. Proteinase Allergens of House Dust Mites: Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Possible Functional Significance of Their Enzyme Activity.- Cancer.- 9. Gene Expression in Lung Cancer.- 10. Gene Therapy for Cancer: Prospects for the Treatment of Lung Tumours.

The large number of new antitumour antibiotics that have been discovered and evaluated since the first volume of "The Chemistry of Antitumour Antibiotics" was published in 1978 are described in this up-to-date work. It covers the results of mode and action studies which have benefitted from high-field NMR, including 2-D techniques, computer modelling and DNA sequencing methods. The volume also notes how biosynthesis has been helped by NMR to follow the incorporation of compounds containing stable isotopes.

This book covers the current research on the plant-based tropane alkaloids (TA) and TA-bearing plants. The first part includes an overview of "tropane alkaloids in context to diversity, biosynthesis and significance. The second part covers aspects of in-vitro and allied interventions in these alkaloids. TAs belong to one of the world's oldest phytomedicines with their valuable ethno-pharmacological applications. The book compiles scientific ideas, perspectives and challenges in this area. Further, the book attempts to investigate the loopholes in existing methodologies, challenges and possible solutions through well thought-out scientific discussions from various eminent research groups. This book is of high interest to students and researchers in biotechnology, plant biology and pharmacology. As the TAs are of high commercial medicinal value, this book is also a relevant collection of articles for industry experts.

The misfolding and aggregation of specific proteins is an early and obligatory event in many of the age-related neurodegenerative diseases of humans. The initial cause of this pathogenic cascade and the means whereby disease spreads through the nervous system, remain uncertain. A recent surge of research, first instigated by pathologic similarities between prion disease and Alzheimer s disease, increasingly implicates the conversion of disease-specific proteins into an aggregate-prone b-sheet-rich state as the prime mover of the neurodegenerative process. This prion-like corruptive protein templating or seeding now characterizes such clinically and etiologically diverse neurological disorders as Alzheimers disease, Parkinson s disease, Huntington s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Understanding the misfolding, aggregation, trafficking and pathogenicity of the affected proteins could therefore reveal universal pathomechanistic principles for some of the most devastating and intractable human brain disorders. It is time to accept that the prion concept is no longer confined to prionoses but is a promising concept for the understanding and treatment of a remarkable variety of diseases that afflict primarily our aging society. "

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 assembles the leading aggression researchers both at the preclinical and clinical level. They review the current state of knowledge about neural mechanisms of aggressive behavior and point to the need for innovative methodologies to further our understanding of this greatly understudied set of behaviors.

This volume presents key topics of current interest with regard to several pathophysiological conditions including (a) the basic and clinical aspects of bradykinin receptor antagonists, (b) the kallikrein-kinin pathways in hypertension and diabetes, (c) tissue kallikrein-kinin therapy for hypertension and organ damage, (d) the renal (tissue) kallikrein-kinin system in the kidney and novel potential drugs for salt-sensitive hypertension, (e) the kallikrein-kinin system in diabetes retinopathy and (f) genetic manipulation and genetic variation of the kallikrein-kinin system and their impacts on cardiovascular and renal disease. Written by internationally reputed scientists, the book provides an essential overview of the latest developments in the field of kinin research, making it a valuable asset for endocrinologists, nephrologists, cardiologists, pharmacologists, physiologists, ophthalmologists and rheumatologists. Furthermore, it is also intended for postgraduate students in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, physiology and pharmacology and those working at research organizations.

The book will provide an exhaustive and clear explanation of how Statistics, Mathematics and Informatics have been used in cancer research, and seeks to help cancer researchers in achieving their objectives. To do so, state-of-the-art Biostatistics, Biomathematics and Bioinformatics methods will be described and discussed in detail through illustrative and capital examples taken from cancer research work already published. The book will provide a guide for cancer researchers in using Statistics, Mathematics and Informatics, clarifying the contribution of these logical sciences to the study of cancer, thoroughly explaining their procedures and methods, and providing criteria to their appropriate use.

This volume details methods and techniques for identification of drug targets, binding sites prediction, high-throughput virtual screening,and prediction of pharmacokinetic properties using computer based methodologies. Chapters guide readers through techniques of the available computational tools, developing prediction models for drug target prediction and de novo design of ligands, structure based drug designing, fragment-based drug designing, molecular docking, and scoring functions for assessing protein-ligand docking protocols. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Computational Drug Discovery and Design aims to provide protocols for the use of bioinformatics tools in drug discovery and design.

"Omics for Personalized Medicine" will give to its prospective readers the insight of both the current developments and the future potential of personalized medicine. The book brings into light how the pharmacogenomics and omics technologies are bringing a revolution in transforming the medicine and the health care sector for the better. Students of biomedical research and medicine along with medical professionals will benefit tremendously from the book by gaining from the diverse fields of knowledge of new age personalized medicine presented in the highly detailed chapters of the book. The book chapters are divided into two sections for convenient reading with the first section covering the general aspects of pharmaocogenomic technology that includes latest research and development in omics technologies. The first section also highlights the role of omics in modern clinical trials and even discusses the ethical consideration in pharmocogenomics. The second section is focusing on the development of personalized medicine in several areas of human health. The topics covered range from metabolic and neurological disorders to non-communicable as well as infectious diseases, and even explores the role of pharmacogenomics in cell therapy and transplantation technology. Thirty-four chapters of the book cover several aspects of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine and have taken into consideration the varied interest of the readers from different fields of biomedical research and medicine. Advent of pharmacogenomics is the future of modern medicine, which has resulted from culmination of decades of research and now is showing the way forward. The book is an honest endeavour of researchers from all over the world to disseminate the latest knowledge and knowhow in personalized medicine to the community health researchers in particular and the educated public in general.

This volume aims to connect current ideas and concepts about GI disorders with the search for novel therapeutics. Towards this goal, authors provide a timely state-of-the-art overview of the GI tract in health and disease, current treatment approaches and ongoing developments in drug discovery, and their potential for the better treatment of patients with GI disorders.

The Side Effects of Drugs Annual was first published in 1977. It has been published continuously since then, as a yearly update to the encyclopaedic volume Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. Each new Annual provides clinicians and medical investigators with a reliable and critical yearly survey of new data and trends in the area of Adverse Drug Reactions and Interactions. An international team of specialists have contributed to the Annuals by selecting from each year's publications all that is truly new and informative, by critically interpreting it, and by pointing out whatever is misleading. The use of the book is enhanced by separate indexes, allowing the reader to enter the text via the drug name, adverse effect, or drug interaction. Special features of the Annuals are the Side Effects of Drugs Essay, usually written by a guest author, and the special reviews: short articles, within the different chapters, that give extra attention to topics of current interest. The Essay in Annual 27 is entitled 'The General Practice Research Database' (by Dr. H. Jick) and there is a Historical Essay entitled 'Louis Lewin - Meyler's Predecessor' (by Dr. J.K. Aronson). The special reviews in this volume include, among others: The effects of NSAIDs on blood pressure Risks of inhaled corticosteroids in children Leukotriene receptor antagonists and Churg-Strauss syndrome Amiodarone and thyroid disease Surveillance of adverse events following immunization Smallpox vaccination Safety aspects of folic acid Inhibitors of topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II Liver damage from kava kava

This special issue of the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on Heart Failure covers the entire spectrum of the field, from the current understanding and definitions of heart failure, to epidemiology and the importance of co-morbidities, clinical trial design and biomarkers, as well as imaging technologies. The main focus of this book is to review current and emerging heart failure therapies and potential targets for treatment.

The objective of this volume is to give an overview of the present state of the art of pediatric clinical pharmacology including developmental physiology, pediatric-specific pathology, special tools and methods for development of drugs for children (assessment of efficacy, toxicity, long-term safety etc.) as well as regulatory and ethical knowledge and skills. In the future, structural and educational changes have to lead back to a closer cooperation and interaction of pediatrics with (clinical) pharmacology and pharmacy.

Due to the failing "one-drug-fits-all" model, it has become increasingly necessary to develop personalized medicine that treats whole systems and brings the right drug to the right patient with the right dosages. In Systems Biology in Drug Discovery and Development: Methods and Protocols, leading experts provide a practical, state-of-the-art, and holistic view of the translation of systems biology into better drug discovery and personalized medical practice. While the first part of the book describes cutting-edge technologies and methods in the field, the second part illustrates how the technologies can be applied in science for disease understanding and therapeutic discovery. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series, this collection provides the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results. Authoritative and up-to-date, Systems Biology in Drug Discovery and Development: Methods and Protocols covers topics from fundamental concepts to advanced technologies in order to best serve biomedical students and professionals at all levels who are interested in vital integrative studies in molecular biology, genetics, bioinformatics, bioengineering, biochemistry, physiology, pathology, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology, drug discovery, and clinical medicine.

Although antiviral drugs have been successfully developed for some viral diseases, there remains a clear, unmet medical need to develop novel antiviral agents for the control and management of many viruses that currently have no or limited treatment options as well as a need to overcome the limitations associated with the existing antiviral drugs, such as adverse effects and emergence of drug-resistant mutations. The second edition of Antiviral Methods and Protocols features: All chapters are new and written by experts in the field, reflecting the major recent technical advances in antiviral research and discovery. This edition focuses on many important human viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), hepatitis viruses (hepatitis B and C viruses), herpes viruses, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza virus, while also featuring some important emerging viruses, such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, and chikungunya virus. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Antiviral Methods and Protocols, Second Edition will serve as an excellent laboratory reference for pharmaceutical and academic biologists, medicinal chemists, and pharmacologists as well as for virologists in the field of antiviral research and drug discovery.