Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world after Alzheimer's disease. Thanks to the pioneering works of Arvid Carlson in the 20th century identifying dopamine as the main neurochemical agent involved in Parkinson's disease's onset and progress, our understanding of the neuropathology has increased. The elaboration of L-Dopa as the first pharmacological treatment approach has brought new hope for curing or at least slowing the neurodegenerative progress and the decline of motor and cognitive functions in Parkinson's disease patients. To date, imaging techniques along with genetic and biochemical tools have allowed scientists and clinicians to predict and diagnose the disease several years prior to the motor disorder's appearance. Experimental and Clinical Evidence of the Neuropathology of Parkinson's Disease sheds light on the history of Parkinson's disease as well as the recent literature on the epidemiological data worldwide including the prevalence of the disease, the morbimortality rates, and the sex dimorphism and aging components. It addresses the current neuropathological evidence of Parkinson's disease, including the latest discoveries in terms of neuropathology and treatments available or under clinical trials with the efficacy and limitations of each. Covering topics such as epidemiology, stem cells, and neuropathology, this premier reference source is an excellent resource for clinicians, physicians, epidemiologists, neuroscientists, microbiologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, medical professionals, nurses, medical students and educators, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

This volume presents the recent developments on the biomedical applications of chitosan and its derivatives. Chitosan exhibits unique properties such as non-toxicity, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Since its chemical structure and properties can be easily modified, it can be an ideal candidate as a biomaterial. Consequently, chitosan and its derivatives are being developed in different forms such as nanoparticles, micelles, nanofibers, hydrogels, films and 3D porous materials for various biomedical applications, ranging from drug and gene delivery to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The chapters of this volume focus on the potential use of chitosan and its derivatives as a hemostatic agent, tissue sealants, tissue engineering scaffolds, delivery carriers for bioactive molecules in bone tissue engineering and wound dressings. Some chapter's deal with recent advancements of chitosan-based biomaterials as a drug, gene and transdermal drug delivery carrier. In addition, the volume focusses on the prospects of chitosan-based systems for the treatment of cancer, eye and other infectious diseases. The volume will be of interest to material scientists, chemists and biotechnologists by providing a better understanding of the physicochemical and biological characteristics of chitosan and its derivatives to develop more appropriate and innovative chitosan-based materials modified for unlimited practical applications in biomedical fields.

This volume deals with chemical modification, structure-property relationship, biological interaction and biomedical applications of chitosan and its chemically modified derivatives. The chapters of this volume provide an overview of the structural comparison of chitosan with other sugar-based biopolymers, a different type of strategy used in chemical modification of chitosan to interact with metal ions and to enhance antimicrobial activity. The chapters further discuss the development of functionalized chitosan hydrogels, films, scaffolds and composites that have the potential to be used in food packaging, enhancing saltiness, biosensors and wound dressing. In addition the fabrication and biological properties of chitosan and its derivatives-based nanofibers are presented. Another important aspect covered in this volume is that of the interaction of chitosan with blood, platelet-rich plasma and stem cells. Finally, this volume presents the current challenges in the development of biomedical products based on chitosan and its derivatives. The volume will be of interest to chemists, material science, biological science and biomaterial scientists can able to understand structure-property relationship, biological interaction and biomedical applications of chitosan and its derivatives.

Polymeric Nanoparticles of Chitosan Derivatives as DNA and siRNA Carriers, by Y. K. Kim, H. L. Jiang, Y. J. Choi, I. K. Park, M. H. Cho and C. S. Cho.- Chitosan and Its Derivatives for Drug Delivery Perspective, by T. A. Sonia and C. P. Sharma.- Chitosan-based Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy, by V.-K. Lakshmanan, K. S. Snima, J. D. Bumgardner, S. V. Nair, and R. Jayakumar.- Chitosan and Thiolated Chitosan, by F. Sarti and A. Bernkop-Schnurch.- Chitosan-Based Particulate Systems for Non-Invasive Vaccine Delivery, by S. Senel.- Multifunctional Chitosan Nanoparticles for Tumor Imaging and Therapy, by J. Y. Yhee, Heebeom Koo, Dong Eun Lee, Kuiwon Choi, Ick Chan Kwon and Kwangmeyung Kim.- Chitosan-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Molecular Imaging and Drug Delivery, by H. Arami, Z. Stephen, O. Veiseh and M. Zhang.- Chitosan: Its Applications in Drug-Eluting Devices, by Mei -Chin Chen, Fwu -Long Mi, Zi -Xian Liao and Hsing -Wen Sung.-

This volume deals with the various fabrication techniques, surface functionalization and biomedical applications of polymeric fibers possessing different scale and structure. It provides an overview of fabrication techniques such as Co-axial, Centrifugal, Melt and Yarning to procure multiscale, tubular and layered fibrous scaffold employed for biomedical applications. The chapters in this volume discusse the surface/chemical functionalization of fibers which enhance the biological properties of the fibrous scaffolds as well as the development of hybrid, layered and external stimuli-responsive fibrous scaffolds that hold potential application in biosensor and other biomedical fields. In addition, recent advances and applications of polymeric multiscale fibers in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug delivery are presented. The potential use of fibrous scaffolds in bone, neural, tendon/ligament and cardiac tissue engineering, nanofibers as an antimicrobial wound dressing, employed in cancer theragnostics and in the treatment of skin/periodontal infections are discussed. The volume provides expert knowledge on the fabrication techniques, development of different scale and hybrid structure fibers, surface functionalization, layered and external stimuli responsive fibrous scaffolds. It will be beneficial to material/biomaterials scientists, bioengineering and biotechnologists by providing a better understanding on the subject of the innovative applications of fibrous scaffolds in drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound dressings and regenerative medicine.

This volume presents the recent developments on the biomedical applications of chitosan and its derivatives. Chitosan exhibits unique properties such as non-toxicity, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Since its chemical structure and properties can be easily modified, it can be an ideal candidate as a biomaterial. Consequently, chitosan and its derivatives are being developed in different forms such as nanoparticles, micelles, nanofibers, hydrogels, films and 3D porous materials for various biomedical applications, ranging from drug and gene delivery to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The chapters of this volume focus on the potential use of chitosan and its derivatives as a hemostatic agent, tissue sealants, tissue engineering scaffolds, delivery carriers for bioactive molecules in bone tissue engineering and wound dressings. Some chapter's deal with recent advancements of chitosan-based biomaterials as a drug, gene and transdermal drug delivery carrier. In addition, the volume focusses on the prospects of chitosan-based systems for the treatment of cancer, eye and other infectious diseases. The volume will be of interest to material scientists, chemists and biotechnologists by providing a better understanding of the physicochemical and biological characteristics of chitosan and its derivatives to develop more appropriate and innovative chitosan-based materials modified for unlimited practical applications in biomedical fields.

Polymeric Nanoparticles of Chitosan Derivatives as DNA and siRNA Carriers, by Y. K. Kim, H. L. Jiang, Y. J. Choi, I. K. Park, M. H. Cho and C. S. Cho.- Chitosan and Its Derivatives for Drug Delivery Perspective, by T. A. Sonia and C. P. Sharma.- Chitosan-based Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy, by V.-K. Lakshmanan, K. S. Snima, J. D. Bumgardner, S. V. Nair, and R. Jayakumar.- Chitosan and Thiolated Chitosan, by F. Sarti and A. Bernkop-Schnurch.- Chitosan-Based Particulate Systems for Non-Invasive Vaccine Delivery, by S. enel.- Multifunctional Chitosan Nanoparticles for Tumor Imaging and Therapy, by J. Y. Yhee, Heebeom Koo, Dong Eun Lee, Kuiwon Choi, Ick Chan Kwon and Kwangmeyung Kim.- Chitosan-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Molecular Imaging and Drug Delivery, by H. Arami, Z. Stephen, O. Veiseh and M. Zhang.- Chitosan: Its Applications in Drug-Eluting Devices, by Mei -Chin Chen, Fwu -Long Mi, Zi -Xian Liao and Hsing -Wen Sung.-"

This volume deals with chemical modification, structure-property relationship, biological interaction and biomedical applications of chitosan and its chemically modified derivatives. The chapters of this volume provide an overview of the structural comparison of chitosan with other sugar-based biopolymers, a different type of strategy used in chemical modification of chitosan to interact with metal ions and to enhance antimicrobial activity. The chapters further discuss the development of functionalized chitosan hydrogels, films, scaffolds and composites that have the potential to be used in food packaging, enhancing saltiness, biosensors and wound dressing. In addition the fabrication and biological properties of chitosan and its derivatives-based nanofibers are presented. Another important aspect covered in this volume is that of the interaction of chitosan with blood, platelet-rich plasma and stem cells. Finally, this volume presents the current challenges in the development of biomedical products based on chitosan and its derivatives. The volume will be of interest to chemists, material science, biological science and biomaterial scientists can able to understand structure-property relationship, biological interaction and biomedical applications of chitosan and its derivatives.