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Showing 1 - 25 of 59 matches in All Departments
Dietary supplements can contain a wide variety of ingredients, either singly or in combination, including nutrients, botanicals and 'bioactive components' commonly found in foods. They are marketed and used by consumers for a range of reasons: to enhance "well-being," as traditional medicines, for health promotion or disease risk reduction, and as alternatives or complements to conventional drug therapies. On a global basis, the dietary supplement industry has enjoyed rapid growth, becoming a multi-billion dollar enterprise over the last 10 years. This growth has been associated with significant changes in both the types of products available and the reasons for using these products. In many cases, these changes have occurred without the benefit of a sound scientific basis for evaluating the safety and efficacy of these products under the new conditions of use and frequently the same limited scientific evidence is used, even though current product composition, user populations, purported beneficial effects, and conditions of use may differ significantly from the available evidence or historical usage. This book presents systematic examinations of the scientific data that are available and/or needed to substantiate and evaluate the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements. A series of case studies that are illustrative of the types of scientific challenges that have been encountered in substantiating safety and efficacy for various product types are employed to point out some of the successes but also frustrations that have occurred in recent years. Discussions among presenters and participants identify the lessons learned from these experiences and formulate ideas forimproved approaches to identifying research needs and for enhancing the quality and relevance of the scientific evidence available for policy decisions. "Dietary Supplements and Health" constitutes a useful resource for nutritionists, biochemists, public health researchers and anyone interested in herbal, alternative medicines.
ATP, the intracellular energy source, is also an extremely important cell-cell signalling molecule for a wide variety of cells across evolutionarily diverse organisms. The extracellular biochemistry of ATP and its derivatives is complex, and the multiple membrane receptors that it activates are linked to many intracellular signalling systems. Purinergic signalling affects a diverse range of cellular phenomena, including ion channel function, cytoskeletal dynamics, gene expression, secretion, cell proliferation, differentiation and cell death. Recently, this class of signalling molecules and receptors has been found to mediate communication between neurons and non-neuronal cells (glia) in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Glia are critical for normal brain function, development and response to injury. Neural impulse activity is detected by glia and purinergic signalling is emerging as a major means of integrating functional activity between neurons, glia and vascular cells in the nervous system. These interactions mediate effects of neural activity on the development of the nervous system and in association with injury, neurodegeneration, myelination and cancer. Bringing together contributions from experts in diverse fields, including glial biologists, neurobiologists and specialists in purinergic receptor structure and pharmacology, this book considers how extracellular ATP acts to integrate communication between different types of glia, and between neurons and glia. Beginning with an overview of glia and purinergic signalling, it contains detailed coverage of purine release, receptors and reagents, purinergic signalling in the neural control of glial development, glial involvement in information processing, and discussion of the interactions between neurons and microglia.
Recent technological advances have led to a rapid acceleration in our ability to gather genetic data. The complete genetic sequences are now known to several organisms and accelerated programmes are in place for sequencing many other genomes, including human. The speed with which complete sequencing can be accomplished will continue to increase as new technologies come online. In principle, the scope for developing new diagnostic techniques and drugs is now greater than at any time in human history, but the pathway from genetic information to usable drug is a long and complex one. This exciting book brings together a high-calibre group of experts to discuss the practical application of genomic information to the development of drugs. The subjects covered include the current state of the art in sequencing technology, the applications of these new technologies to sequencing the genomes of various organisms, and the challenge of proteomics. Additional contributions deal with legal and ethical implications of the new uses of genetic data, and functional genomes from the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common
respiratory disorder of adults in the developed world and is the
fourth main cause of death in the USA. It is also associated with
high morbidity, and poses an enormous burden of suffering and
expense. Despite this, the disease has received little attention
compared with other respiratory conditions such as asthma and lung
cancer.
This exciting book is based on a symposium that brought together leading scientists working at the interface between the cell cycle, cell growth and development in a variety of model systems. This research interface is just starting to emerge, and this symposium is the first to discuss these issues in depth - discussions that are included here along with the written papers.
The field of neural transplantation is at a crucial stage, with important clinical trials on transplantation in patients with Parkinson's disease nearing completion and novel, alternative approaches to fetal transplantation being developed. This timely book brings together leading neuroscientists, clinicians, and cell and developmental biologists to discuss the use of neural transplants in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. There is also extensive coverage of the potential alternatives to freshly derived fetal tissue as the source of transplants, for example xenografts, encapsulated cells and immortalized stem cells. With authoritative contributions and lively discussion sections, this book presents much new and exciting work in this field and identifies promising new research directions.
Although normally thought of as a sex hormone, recent research has
highlighted the numerous and significant effects that oestrogen has
on the CNS, extending far beyond its important reproductive role.
It has been shown that oestrogen acts as a neural growth factor
with important influences on the survival, plasticity, regeneration
and ageing of the mammalian brain.
Although nature employs a wide variety of sex-determining mechanisms, it is only comparatively recently that the tools have become available for these to be explored at the molecular and cellular levels. A major landmark was the discovery in 1990 of the Sry gene and the subsequent demonstration of its key role in triggering male sex determination in transgenic mice. Since that time, while other key genes in the sex-determining pathway have been uncovered, the story remains far from complete. This ground-breaking book draws together leading researchers to review and discuss the most recent advances in the understanding of the molecular genetic pathways of sex determination. Coverage includes the genetics and biochemistry of mammalian sex determination, comparisons with other modes of sex determination, and consideration of the biology of sexual development and of the evolution of sex-determining mechanisms. A major theme running through several chapters is the value of comparative studies of sex-determining mechanisms in different species. In addition, clinical aspects and the genetic analysis of anomalies of human sexual development are also addressed. This exciting book reviews much new and exciting work in this area and identifies promising new research directions.
This book brings together a cross-fertilization of ideas between human molecular genetics, developmental biology, tissue biology and the biochemistry of cell signalling pathways, in order to create new insights into the mechanisms of normal and abnormal skeletogenesis. This broad perspective is essential in order to understand the aetiology of genetic diseases affecting skeletal development at all levels from genotype to phenotype, i.e. from mutation to syndrome.
The potential lipotoxic effect of accumulation of fatty acids in non-adipose tissues is thought to be a major component in the development of insulin resistance. Chronic exposure to high concentrations of free fatty acids in the blood affects pancreatic β cell function, insulin secretion and lipid synthesis in the liver, and storage in adipose tissue. Maintaining the normal levels of fatty acids requires coordinated regulation between the liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. This book deals with the molecular aspects of fatty acid action in obesity and insulin resistance. The topics include lipid metabolism and adipose tissue biology, and β cell function and insulin resistance. Chapters deal with the molecular genetics and molecular physiology of energy homeostasis.
Gastroenteritis viruses are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Many hundreds of thousands of children die annually from rotavirus diarrhoea in the developing world, and although in industrialized countries rotavieus infection is rarely fatal, the economic burden of the disease is substantial. Human caliciviruses have emerged as a significant cause of viral gastroenteritis globally. This book contains presentations and discussions by internationally recognized experts on virus structure, replication, pathogenesis, immune response and correlates of protection, molecular-epidemiological surveillance, advances in treatment, and efforts to develop vaccines, particularly against rotavirus disease. The spectrum of viruses covered comprises rotaviruses, human caliciviruses, astroviruses, coronaviruses and viruses causing gut disease in the immunocompromized host. The book not only conveys facts but also gives ample room to lively discussions on many issues at the forefront of research and development.
With the recent renaissance in mitochondrial biology and increasing recognition of their role in many diseases, this book provides a timely summary of the current state-of-the-art in mitochondrial research. The book opens with the regulation of mitochondrial replication and biogenesis and reviews the mechanisms and functional consequences of mitochondrial fission and fusion. Further chapters address mitochondria and oxidative stress and their roles in cell signalling and cell death. The book includes extensive, fascinating discussion of the biochemistry of mitochondrial cell signalling (especially involving calcium) and of oxidative stress. The nature of the proteins engaged in these processes, many only recently discovered, is covered in detail. Mitochondria have been strongly implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. They are also affected in cancer, ageing and cardiovascular disease. The final section of the book reviews mitochondrial mutations and their consequences in ageing and other phenotypic manifestations. The authors discuss how mitochondrial proteins might constitute important therapeutic targets and describe initial attempts to develop compounds that can regulate their function.
Empathy is the process that allows us to share the feelings and emotions of others, in the absence of any direct emotional stimulation to the self. Humans can feel empathy for other people in a wide array of contexts: for basic emotions and sensation such as anger, fear, sadness, joy, pain and lust as well as for more complex emotions such as guilt, embarrassment and love. It has been proposed that, for most people, empathy is the process that prevents us doing harm to others. Although empathy seems to be an automatic response of the brain to others' emotional reactions, there are circumstances under which we do not share the same feeling as others. Imagine, for example, that someone who does the same job as you is paid twice as much. In this case, that person might be very satisfied with their extra salary, but you would not share this satisfaction. This case illustrates the ubiquitous feeling of fairness and justice. Our sense of fairness has also become the focus of modern economic theories. In contrast to the prominent self-interest hypothesis of classic economy assuming that all people are exclusively motivated by their self-interest, humans are also strongly motivated by other-regarding preferences such as the concern for fairness and reciprocity. The notion of fairness is not only crucial in personal interaction with others in the context of families, workplace or interactions with strangers, but also guides people's behaviour in impersonal economic and political domains. This book brings together work from a wide range of disciplines to explain processes underlying empathy and fairness. The expert contributors approach the topic of empathy and fairness from differentviewpoints, namely those of social cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, evolutionary anthropology, economics and neuropathology. The result is an interdisciplinary and unitary framework focused on the neuronal, developmental, evolutionary and psychological basis of empathy and fairness. With its extensive discussions and the high calibre of the participants, this important new book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in this topic.
Retinal dystrophies are the major causes of incurable blindness in the Western world. Our insight into their aetiology has improved remarkably over the past decade and a number of key genes have been identified. Together with a more detailed understanding of disease processes, this knowledge is stimulating new approaches to therapeutic strategies involving gene therapy, growth factors and retinal cell transplantation. Molecular genetic studies have provided detailed information on the pathogenesis of retinal dystrophies. An important proof of principle that gene therapy holds great promise for the treatment of these conditions was demonstrated in the "rds" mouse: introduction of a functional copy of the "peripherin" gene subretinally resulted in complete rescue of rod outer segment structure. Novel approaches are being developed based on the manipulation of biochemical pathways that previously were not considered relevant to these diseases. For example, renewed interest in retinal dystrophy pathogenesis led to the successful use of high dose vitamin A treatment in Sorsby fundus dystrophy. This important new book covers all aspects of retinal dystrophies from the molecular and developmental biology of these disorders to possible therapeutic approaches, with special reference to gene therapy. Specific chapters deal with the molecular genetics of gene therapies, clinical genetic studies, molecular and cellular mechanisms of the development of the disease, functional genomics of retinal diseases, animal models of retinal dystrophies, and finally with studies on gene therapeutic approaches to correcting the disorder. With contributions by many of the leading researchers worldwide, this book is likely to be an important milestone in this rapidly developing field.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease associated with joint pain and loss of joint function. It has an estimated incidence of 4 out of every 100 people and significantly reduces the quality of life in affected individuals. The major symptoms are chronic pain, swelling and stiffness; severe, chronic joint pain is often the central factor that causes patients to seek medical attention. Within the affected joint, there is focal degradation and remodelling of articular cartilage, new bone formation (osteophytes) and mild synovitis. Several mechanisms are thought to contribute to osteoarthritic joint pain. These include mild synovial inflammation, bone oedema, ligament stretching, osteophyte formation and cartilage-derived mediators. Changes in joint biomechanics and muscle strength also influence the severity and duration of joint pain in osteoarthritis. Within the nervous system, the relative contributions of peripheral afferent nociceptive fibres and central mechanisms remain to be defined, and there is limited information on the phenotype of sensory neurons in the OA joint. Importantly, there is no relation between clinical severity, as measured by radiographic changes, and the presence and severity of joint pain. Patients with severe joint pain may have normal joint architecture as determined by X-ray, whereas patients with considerable evidence of joint remodelling may not have significant joint pain. Treatments for osteoarthritic joint pain include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds, exercise, corrective shoes and surgical intervention. There remains a critical need for improved control of joint pain in osteoarthritis. This book brings together contributions from key investigators
in the area of osteoarthritic joint pain. It covers the clinical
presentation of joint pain, the pathways involved in joint pain,
osteoarthritis disease processes and pain, experimental models and
pain control. The discussions provide insights into the nature of
osteoarthritic joint pain, identify key studies needed to advance
understanding of the problem, highlight possible intervention
points and indicate future pathways towards a better treatment of
osteoarthritic joint pain.
This book brings together contributions from key investigators in the area of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channel structure and function. It covers the structure, function and regulation of mammalian TRP channels and mechanisms of signal transduction. The discussions indicate research that would improve understanding of the role of TRP channels in normal cellular physiology, the involvement of TRP channels in disease states and their potential use as molecular targets for novel therapeutic agents.
This groundbreaking book brings together contributions by leading scientists from different fields to provide a balanced view of the spectrum of current studies on autism. Four main areas of research are covered.
Other topics covered include the epidemiology of autism, immunological aspects—including the possible role of infectious agents in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders—and language impairments. This broad-ranging, authoritative book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in autism and its treatment.
This book brings together contributions from key investigators in the area of pathological pain. It covers the molecular basis of receptors and channels involved in nociception, the possible messages that cause neuropathic plasticity, spinal plasticity in neuropathy, plastic changes in opioid systems in neuropathy and opioid tolerance, and plastic changes related to pathological pain.
Heart failure is the main cause of death and disability in the industrialized world. There is a major need for novel therapeutics for prevention and reversal of cardiac pathology associated with heart failure and cardiac enlargement. Over recent years, dramatic progress has been made in unravelling the cellular circuitry involved in cardiac failure, as well as in normal cardiac growth, development and apoptosis. This work has revealed new and unexpected therapeutic targets in the heart. In addition, advances in understanding the role of stem cells in cardiac physiology have suggested strategies for cardiac repair and regeneration once thought impossible. This book describes the work of leading investigators studying the basic mechanisms of cardiac growth, function and dysfunction. There are also exciting contributions from researchers developing novel therapeutic strategies for cardiac disease. The unique feature is the discussions amongst the contributors, which always return to the same basic problem: how can new data from biological studies be used to design novel therapies for the treatment of cardiac dysfunction following myocardial infarction, hypertension and other disorders? With its strong emphasis on translational research, this book will appeal to both scientists and clinicians interested in diminishing the impact of the current epidemic of cardiac diseases.
Over the past few years there has been very important progress in the sodium channel field. We now have a good understanding of the molecular structure of these channels, of how they work, how many of them there are, and the mechanisms that restrict their expression to particular cell types. Importantly, we are beginning to understand how the expression of, and properties of these channels are modulated in various pathological states, particularly those involving neuronal hyperexcitability (such as chronic pain), and are in a position to develop therapeutic strategies based on the restoration of normal sodium channel properties. This book brings together leading researchers working on these topics to discuss recent advances in this field. Particular attention is given to the clinical applications of our knowledge of sodium channel function, especially in the fields of chronic pain and epilepsy. With broad and up-to-date coverage of this important subject, this book represents compulsory reading for basic and medical scientists with an interest in the function of sodium channels.
Seemingly simple behaviours turn out, on reflection, to be discouragingly complex. For many years, cognitive operations such as sensation, perception, comparing percepts to stored models (short-term and long-term memory), decision-making and planning of actions were treated by most neuroscientists as separate areas of research. This was not because the neuroscience community believed these operations to act independently--it is intuitive that any common cognitive process seamlessly interweaves these operations--but because too little was known about the individual processes constituting the full behaviour, and experimental paradigms and data collection methods were not sufficiently well developed to put the processes in sequence in any controlled manner. These limitations are now being overcome in the leading cognitive neuroscience laboratories, and this book is a timely summary of the current state of the art. The theme of the book is how the brain uses sensory information to develop and decide upon the appropriate action, and how the brain determines the appropriate action to optimize the collection of new sensory information. It addresses several key questions. How are percepts built up in the cortex and how are judgments of the percept made? In what way does information flow within and between cortical regions, and what is accomplished by successive (and reverberating) stages of processing? How are decisions made about the percept subsequently acted upon, through their conversion to a response according to the learned criterion for action? How does the predicted or expected sensation interact with the actual incoming flow of sensory signals? The chapters and discussions in thebook reveal how answering these questions requires an understanding of sensory-motor loops: our perception of the world drives new actions, and the actions undertaken at any moment lead to a new 'view' of the world. This book will prove a fascinating read for all clinical and experimental psychologists and neuroscientists, as well as anyone interested in how we perceive the world and act within it.
Novartis Foundation Symposium 291 The Biology of Extracellular Molecular Chaperones The heat shock, or cell stress, response was first identified in the polytene chromosomes of "Drosophila," This was later related to the appearance of novel proteins within stressed cells, and the key signal stimulating this appearance was identified as the presence of unfolded proteins within the cell. It is now known that this is a key mechanism enabling cells to survive a multitude of physical, chemical and biological stresses. Since the promulgation of the 'molecular chaperone' concept as a general cellular function to control the process of correct protein folding, a large number of molecular chaperones and protein folding catalysts have been identified, and it has been recognized that not all molecular chaperones are stress proteins and vice versa. The discovery of molecular chaperones as folding proteins went hand-in-hand with their recognition as potent immunogens in microbial infection. It was subsequently shown that administration of molecular chaperones such as Hsp60, Hsp70 or Hsp90 could inhibit experimental autoimmune diseases and cancer. More recently evidence has accumulated to show that certain molecular chaperones are also present on the surface of cells or in extracellular fluids. A new paradigm is emerging: at least some molecular chaperones are secreted proteins with pro- or anti-inflammatory actions, regulating the immune response in human diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition to having direct effects on cells, molecular chaperones can bind peptides and present them to T cells to modulateimmune responses. This may be significant in the treatment of cancer. This book brings researchers together to review and discuss: our current knowledge of cell stress response and molecular chaperones the changing paradigms of protein trafficking and function cell stress proteins as immunomodulators and pro- and anti-inflammatory signalling molecules the role of these proteins in various chronic diseases and their potential as preventative or therapeutic agents. "The Biology of Extracellular Molecular Chaperones" will be of particular interest to immunologists, cell and molecular biologists, microbiologists and virologists, as well as clinical researchers working in cardiology, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
Much research has attempted to show direct linear relations between genes and disorder. However, scientists have been discouraged by inconsistent findings based on this simple gene-phenotype approach. The alternative approach is to incorporate information about the environment. A gene-environment interaction approach assumes that environmental pathogens cause disorder, whereas genes influence susceptibility to environmental pathogens. This book brings together contributions from experts from multiple disciplines who discuss:* How epidemiological cohort studies can better integrate physiological (mechanistic) measures;* How best to characterise subjects' vulnerability versus resilience by moving beyond single genetic polymorphisms;* How gene hunters can benefit from recruiting samples selected for known exposures;* How environmental pathogens can be used as tools for gene hunting;* How to deal with potential spurious (statistical) interactions, and* How genes can help explain fundamental demographic properties of disorders (e.g. sex distribution, age effects).
To understand the brain and its devastating diseases, we need to reveal the mechanisms that produce it and the ways in which it can constantly change throughout a lifetime. This book features a timely and insightful discussion between developmental neurobiologists and clinicians who deal with disorders of the nervous system. Chapters in this book deal specifically with cell fate determination, cell migration and disorders of cell migration; current concepts and new ideas about cortical arealisation, and disorders which can arise from incorrect arealisation; genes implicated in the development of cortical connectivity and related pathologies such as schizophrenia and synaesthesia; and susceptibility genes for cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia, autism, dyslexia, and attention deficit disorder.
Novartis Foundation Symposium 289 "Growth factors and psychiatric disorders" Chair: Moses V. Chao Psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disease and schizophrenia are debilitating illnesses that are influenced by many genetic and environmental factors. While little is known about the neural circuits that underlie such disorders, the convergence of psychiatric, genetic and basic neuroscience research is providing new and exciting insights. In recent years genetic studies have identified several growth factors as susceptibility genes for depression, schizophrenia, and learning and memory. This suggests that psychiatric disorders may be influenced by a small number of genes with multiple actions. These genes will provide clues to the biochemical mechanisms and pathways that underlie these complex disorders. This is the first book to undertake a comprehensive investigation of this research. International leading experts are brought together to discuss the latest findings and look at future directions. Topics addressed include Neuroplasticity and neurotrophic factors. Mechanisms of intracellular trafficking of growth factors. BDNF gene variants in affective disorders. Trophic factors and cognitive functions. Neurotrophins and depression. Schizophrenia genes and neuropathology. Pharmacological treatments of schizophrenia. "Growth factors and psychiatric disorders" will be of particular interest to psychiatrists, neurologists and geneticists, as well as cell and molecular biologists, and neuroscientists. |
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