Apoptosis is a highly regulated mechanism by which cells undergo cell death in an active way. As one of the most challenging tasks concerning cancer is to induce apoptosis in malignant cells, researchers increasingly focus on natural products to modulate apoptotic signaling pathways. This book reviews the main effects of natural compounds on the different apoptotic signaling pathways, including the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, the NF-kB-mediated pathway, the PI3K/Akt signaling, and other main pathways. Among the topic specially covered are: Effects of natural compounds on cancer cellsNatural compounds as inducers of cell deathDiet in health and diseaseInflammation and cancerNatural compounds as kinase inhibitorsNatural compounds in neurodegenerative diseasesNatural compounds as inhibitors of ROS

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Novel antibodies against receptors, protein kinase inhibitors, and antisense oligonucleotides targeting both signal transduction and gene expression will predominate the therapeutic approaches in the coming decades.

This volume is part of a series of meetings held in Luxembourg to discuss therapeutic applications in the field of signal transduction, transcription, and translation. These meetings and the volumes comprising their proceedings have brought forward new insights in this rapidly moving field.

Chapters on hypoxia signal transduction, phosphoserine/threonine-binding domains, targeting of polycomb repressive complexes, conserved signaling mechanisms in innate immunity, and signal transduction by stress-activated MAP kinases have been provided by the keynote speakers at the meeting. Other topics included among these reports on recent research are receptor signaling, protein kinase cascades as therapeutic targets, cell death in cancer, inflammation-specific signaling, cell signaling pathways leading to regulated chromatin modifications, and transcriptional control.

Part A focuses on basic research, and the chapters are divided into the following sections: apoptotic cell signaling mechanisms, extracellular matrix interactions, and MAP kinases.

NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas.

ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visitwww.nyas.org/membership/main.asp for more information about becoming a member.

Keynote speakers at the cell signaling meeting in Luxembourg have provided chapters on hypoxia signal transduction, phosphoserine/threonine-binding domains, targeting of polycomb repressive complexes, conserved signaling mechanisms in innate immunity, and signal transduction by stress-activated MAP kinases. Other topics included among these reports on recent research are receptor signaling, protein kinase cascades as therapeutic targets, cell death in cancer, inflammation-specific signaling, cell signaling pathways leading to regulated chromatin modifications, and transcriptional control.

The chapters have been published in four volumes (Part A to D), offering a comprehensive overview about this exciting topic.

This second volume focuses on basic research, and the chapters are divided into the following sections: oxidative stress, transcriptional control, HDAC, and novel technological and therapeutic approaches.

"NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit" "www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas".""

"ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (""www.nyas.org""). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit" "http: //www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx" "for more information about becoming a member"