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This comprehensive, up-to-date reference work compiles the scientific research on the relationship between various forms of cancer and reactive oxygen species (ROS). It is well known that ROS play a key role in the various steps leading to malignancy, this includes increase in DNA mutation rates. The book brings together exciting reviews, written by leading experts all over the world. The book is divided into four broad sections. Each section describes the role of oxidative stress and underlying mechanisms and pathways, at various stages of cancer, including its role in carcinogenesis, cancer progression and metastasis. Further, the book describes how the reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulate gene expression and signal transduction pathways in cancer. The book discusses the ways to interfere with the cancer progression, and design of anti-cancer drugs. The book provides an integrated approach for better understanding of the development phases of oxidative stress-induced cancers, and mainly the current perspectives about mechanistic aspects of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. It is a highly resourceful book and would be extremely important to clinicians, students and researchers in the field of cancer genetics, therapeutics and oncology.

This book gives insight into the functional role of non-coding RNAs in central pathways contributing to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. It also sheds light on the relationship of this cluster with cancer. Tumor cells, in contrast to cells in cardiometabolic tissues, can regulate this cluster of non-coding RNAs to escape from oxidative stress and anti-tumor immunity and maintain insulin sensitivity, facilitating cancer progression. The book presents a cluster of non-coding RNAs that may be prospectively analyzed in extensive cohort studies to determine their value in risk-predicting machine learning algorithms. In addition, it emphasizes the role of microvesicles in communication between tumor-adjacent tissue, inflammatory cells, and tumor cells, with a special focus on the role of miR-155. The book intends to promote interdisciplinary research. Due to the comprehensive background information provided in each chapter, it is suitable for researchers in academia and industry and for graduate students in biology, bioengineering, and medicine.

This book describes recent advances in translational research in breast cancer and presents emerging applications of this research that promise to have meaningful impacts on diagnosis and treatment. It introduces ideas and materials derived from the clinic that have been brought to'the bench'for basic research, as well as findings that have been applied back to'the bedside'. Detailed attention is devoted to breast cancer biology and cell signaling pathways and to cancer stem cell and tumor heterogeneity in breast cancer. Various patient-derived research models are discussed, and a further focus is the role of biomarkers in precision medicine for breast cancer patients. Next-generation clinical research receives detailed attention, addressing the increasingly important role of big data in breast cancer research and a wide range of other emerging developments. An entire section is also devoted to the management of women with high-risk breast cancer. Translational Research in Breast Cancer will help clinicians and scientists to optimize their collaboration in order to achieve the common goal of conquering breast cancer.

These proceedings of the 2018 XIII International Symposium on Spermatology focus on comparative biology, and encourages discussion and the exchange of ideas. The aim of this Symposium was to provide a unique opportunity and bring together scientists from a wide spectrum of research fields – human, domestic animals and other mammals, vertebrates, insects, and plants. The underlying focus is on the function of the spermatozoon – a common feature for sexual reproduction, but extremely varied. By exploring the variability, a better understanding of male reproductive functions can develop. These proceedings address the mechanisms of physiology and pathophysiology, rather than diagnosis and treatment. The symposium featured keynote lectures by invited speakers, followed by presentations on specific aspects of the general topic of the session. Experimental studies are given priority over clinical studies of patient populations. The proceedings compriseboth keynote speakers'texts and selected free communications. Posters were considered for publication in the proceedings, and the volume includes exhibited materials on the work of prominent spermatologists, highlighting their important past achievements in the field.

This book summarizes all the important aspects of CRLs (Cullin-RING E3 Ubiquitin Ligases), while providing details of mechanistic specifics that go beyond protein ubiquitination and neddylation. Ubiquitin ligases, including the CRLs, which are activated by neddylation, play an important role in diverse biological processes and are involved in various human diseases, particularly cancer. The book covers various topics, such as CRL structure, biology, genetics, its regulation by neddylation, its pivotal role in human disease, and its potential in drug discovery and targeted therapies. The book appeals to biochemists and biologists working in other fields, and, given the importance of CRLs in all aspects of cell biology and the great promise of targeting these complexes for therapy, is a valuable resource anyone interested in modern biology or medicine.

The book deals with basic cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with aging. It comprehensively describes the important genetic, epigenetic, biochemical and metabolic regulations during aging, as well as some important age-related diseases.The book is divided into four major sections for easy understanding. It takes the readers through the various aspects of aging in a story-like manner. Certain interventions for healthy aging such as dietary restriction, regular exercise and maintaining a balanced and peaceful life-style are also suggested by the experts. The book would be a companion for both beginners, as well as established researchers in the field. It would be useful for science education, research, clinical approach and policy making.

The book addresses the development of muscle atrophy, which can be caused by denervation, disuse, excessive fasting, aging, and a variety of diseases including heart failure, chronic kidney diseases and cancers. Muscle atrophy reduces quality of life and increases morbidity and mortality worldwide. The book is divided into five parts, the first of which describes the general aspects of muscle atrophy including its characteristics, related economic and health burdens, and the current clinical therapy. Secondly, basic aspects of muscle atrophy including the composition, structure and function of skeletal muscle, muscle changes in response to atrophy, and experimental models are summarized. Thirdly, the book reviews the molecular mechanisms of muscle atrophy, including protein degradation and synthesis pathways, noncoding RNAs, inflammatory signaling, oxidative stress, mitochondria signaling, etc. Fourthly, it highlights the pathophysiological mechanisms of muscle atrophy in aging and disease. The book's fifth and final part covers the diagnosis, treatment strategies, promising agents and future prospects of muscle atrophy. The book will appeal to a broad readership including scientists, undergraduate and graduate students in medicine and cell biology.

This book focuses on host–pathogen interactions at the metabolic level. It explores the metabolic requirements of the infectious agents, the microbial metabolic pathways that are dedicated to circumvent host immune mechanisms as well as the molecular mechanisms by which pathogens hijack host cell metabolism for their own benefit. Finally, it provides insights on the possible clinical and immunotherapeutic applications, as well as on the available experimental and analytical methods. The contributions break new ground in understanding the metabolic crosstalk between host and pathogen.

A major objective of this book is to reveal unprecedented opportunities to understand and overcome drug resistance through the clinical assessment of rational therapeutic drug combinations and the use of predictive and prognostic biomarkers to enable patient stratification and tailor treatments. It offers to the readers an updated overview on the possible reasons of failure of new and promising therapeutic opportunities.

This volume covers the emerging area of science, Clinical Lipidomics, which is the application of lipidology to the understanding of physiological and pathophysiological changes of lipidomes, with a special focus on lipidomic profiles in human diseases.Lipidomics is widely used to map lipid molecular species in a biological system. Clinical lipidomic analysis has demonstrated the comprehensive characterization of molecular lipids in various severities, durations, and therapies as a critical tool in identification and validation of disease-specific biomarkers. This volume on Clinical Lipidomics will add to the literature and help advance the knowledge of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases.

This is the second edition of a very well received book that details how the sumoylation system functions and how it modulates numerous cellular activities. SUMO is a post-translational modifier in the ubiquitin super-family that has gained recognition over the last twenty years as an essential and prevalent regulatory molecule. Individual chapters explore the biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology of the sumoylation system and its substrate proteins.The book is divided into three themed parts: Molecular Functions (I), Cell Growth Regulation (II), and Diseases (III). Parts I and II focus on the contribution of sumoylation to cellular activities in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. The nuclear activities covered include nucleic acid metabolism (both RNA and DNA), chromosome structure and replication, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. Cytoplasmic processes presented include regulation of membrane ion channels, general metabolism, and apoptotic signalling. Topics in Part III include the role of sumoylation in developmental abnormalities (craniofacial and cardiovascular), diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and infections with viruses and bacteria.Each of the corresponding chapter authors is an active researcher who has made significant contributions to understanding sumoylation. This second edition provides updates and revisions to most of the original chapters plus adds six new chapters to address important developing areas of sumoylation research.This volume is intended for a scientific audience from undergraduates to independent researchers. The content will serve as both a solid introduction for the novice reader and an in depth treatment for the advanced scholar.

The book provides an intensive overview on exercise for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, from basic research to clinical practice. The volume firstly summarizes the acute and chronic response to exercise. Secondly, evidence for exercise as medicine for the heart based on clinical studies and basic research is summarized. Thirdly, molecular mechanisms mediating the beneficial effects of exercise including IGF-1-PI3K-AKT signalling, NO signalling, C/EBPB-Cited4 signalling, Non-coding RNAs, epigenetic regulators, mitochondria adaption and exosomes are presented. Finally, exercise dosing, prescription and future prospects are provided. This book will provide valuable reference for researchers in cell biology, physiology, as well as physician, physical therapist in cardiology, sport medicine, etc.

Using a multidisciplinary approach, this book describes the biochemical mechanisms associated with dysregulation of proteases and the resulting pathophysiological consequences. It highlights the role and regulation of different types of proteases as well as their synthetic and endogenous inhibitors. The role of proteases was initially thought to be limited to general metabolic digestion. However, we now know that the role of protein breakdown is much more complex, and proteases have multiple functions: they are coupled to turnover and can affect protein composition, function and synthesis. In addition to eliminating abnormal proteins, breakdown has many modulatory functions, including activating and inactivating enzymes, modulating membrane function, altering receptor channel properties, affecting transcription and cell cycles and forming active peptides. The ubiquity of proteases in nature makes them an important target for drug development.This in-depth, comprehensive is avaluable resource for researchers involved in identifying new targets for drug development. With its multidisciplinary scope, it bridges the gap between fundamental and translational research in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries, making it thought-provoking reading for scientists in the field.

In the post human-genome project era, cancer specific genomic maps are redesigning tumor taxonomy by evolving from histopathology to molecular pathology. The success of a cancer drug today is fundamentally based on the success in identifying target genes that control beneficial pathways. The overwhelming power of genomics and proteomics has enlightened researchers about the fact that the PI3K-mTOR pathway is the most commonly up-regulated signal transduction pathway in various cancers, either by virtue of its activation downstream of many cell surface growth factor receptors or by virtue of its collateral and compensatory circuitry with RAS-MAPK pathway. Oncogenic signaling in the majority of solid tumors is sustained via the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. Because of its prominent role in many cancer types, the PI3K-mTOR pathway has become a major therapeutic target. The volume includes two complementary parts which address the problem of etiology and disease progression and is intended to portray the very basic mechanisms of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway's involvement in various facets of the cancer, including stem cell renewal, cell metabolism, angiogenesis, genetic instability, and drug resistance. Significant progress has been made in recent years elucidating the molecular mechanism of cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and drug-resistance in relation to the PI3K-mTOR pathway and this volume provides an in-depth overview of recent developments made in this area.​

This volume details our current understanding of the architecture and signaling capabilities of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) in health and disease. The first chapters review new insights into the assembly of BCR components and their organization on the cell surface. Subsequent contributions focus on the molecular interactions that connect the BCR with major intracellular signaling pathways such as Ca2+ mobilization, membrane phospholipid metabolism, nuclear translocation of NF-kB or the activation of Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase and MAP kinases. These elements orchestrate cytoplasmic and nuclear responses as well as cytoskeleton dynamics for antigen internalization. Furthermore, a key mechanism of how B cells remember their cognate antigen is discussed in detail. Altogether, the discoveries presented provide a better understanding of B cell biology and help to explain some B cell-mediated pathogenicities, like autoimmune phenomena or the formation of B cell tumors, whilealso paving the way for eventually combating these diseases.

This book provides an overview on the organization and function of the microtubule cytoskeleton, which is essential to many cellular processes and profoundly linked to a range of human diseases. Covering basic concepts as well as molecular details, the book discusses how microtubules are nucleated and organized into ordered arrays, at different cell cycle stages and in distinct cell types. In addition, the book highlights how defects in the microtubule cytoskeleton are linked to diseases such as neurodevelopmental disorders. The book is intended for students, graduates and more senior researchers in cell and developmental biology as well as for medical doctors.

This book elucidates how genetic, biological and medical information can be applied to the development of personalized healthcare, medication and therapies. Focusing on aspects of the development of evidence-based approaches in bioinformatics and computational medicine, including data integration, methodologies, tools and models for clinical and translational medicine, it offers an essential introduction to clinical bioinformatics for clinical researchers and physicians, medical students and teachers, and scientists working with human disease-based omics and bioinformatics. Dr. Xiangdong Wang is a distinguished Professor of Medicine. He is Director of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Director of Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Deputy Director of Shanghai Respiratory Research Institute, Director of Biomedical Research Center, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China; Dr. Christian Baumgartner is a Professor of Health Care and Biomedical Engineering at Institute of Health Care Engineering with European Notified Body of Medical Devices, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria; Dr. Denis Shields is a Professor of Clinical Bioinformatics at Conway Institute, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland; Dr. Hong-Wen Deng is a Professor at Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, USA; Dr. Jacques S Beckmann is a Professor and Director of Section of Clinical Bioinformatics, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland.

This book is a rich source of information on biomarkers applicable to the pathology of neoplastic disorders of the brain. Thorough descriptions are provided of the techniques currently available for clinical and experimental evaluation of biomarkers in brain neoplasms, including in situ hybridization, array-based methods, methylation profiling, next-generation sequencing, and practical gene panels. Incorporation of multiple biomarkers in the development of molecular subgroups with biologic and therapeutic relevance is also discussed. A section on biobanking covers the equally important topic of optimal preservation of tissue and includes consideration of ethical considerations raised by the use of tissue obtained in clinical settings. The closing section discusses the major categories of neoplastic disorders involving the nervous system, with emphasis on diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers used in the pathologic evaluation of different types of brain tumor.

The four sections of this book cover cell and molecular biology of tumor metabolism, metabolites, tumor microenvironment, diagnostics and epigenetics. Written by international experts, it provides a thorough insight into and understanding of tumor cell metabolism and its role in tumor biology. The book is intended for scientists in cancer cell and molecular biology, scientists in drug and diagnostic development, as well as for clinicians and oncologists.

This volume provides a transdisciplinary and translational review of many of the leading murine models used to study the mechanisms, mediators and biomarkers linking energy balance to cancer. It provides a review of murine models that should be of interest to basic, clinical and applied research investigators as well as nutrition scientists and students that work in cancer prevention, cancer control and treatment. The worldwide obesity pandemic has been extensively studied by epidemiologic and observational studies and even, in some cases, by randomized controlled trials. However, the development and control of obesity, its comorbidities and its impact on cancer usually occurs over such long periods that it is difficult, if not impossible to conduct randomized controlled trials in humans to investigate environmental contributions to obesity, energy balance and their impact on cancer. In contrast, model organisms, especially mice and rats, provide valuable assets for performing these studies under rigorously controlled conditions and in sufficient numbers to provide statistically significant results. In this volume, many of the leading and new murine models used to study the mechanisms and mediators linking cancer with obesity, sleep, exercise, their modification by environment and how they may continue to be used to further elucidate these relations as well as to explore preclinical aspects of prevention and/or therapeutic intervention are considered. This volume provides an important compilation and analysis of major experimental systems and principles for further preclinical research with translational impact on energy balance and cancer.

This volume contains 29 engrossing chapters contributed by worldwide, leading research groups in the field of chemical biology. Topics include pre-biology; the establishment of the genetic code; isomerization of RNA; damage of nucleobases in RNA; the dynamic structure of nucleic acids and their analogs in DNA replication, extra- and intra-cellular transport; molecular crowding by the use of ionic liquids; new technologies enabling the modification of gene expression via editing of therapeutic genes; the use of riboswitches; the modification of mRNA cap regions; new approaches to detect appropriately modified RNAs with EPR spectroscopy and the use of parallel and high-throughput techniques for the analysis of the structure and new functions of nucleic acids. This volume discusses how chemistry can add new frontiers to the field of nucleic acids in molecular medicine, biotechnology and nanotechnology and is not only an invaluable source of information to chemists, biochemists and life scientists but will also stimulate future research.

This volume explores the use of mass spectrometry for biomedical applications. Chapters focus on specific therapeutic areas such as oncology, infectious disease and psychiatry. Additional chapters focus on methodology as well as new technologies and instrumentation. This volume provides readers with a comprehensive and informative manual that will allow them to appreciate mass spectrometry and proteomic research but also to initiate and improve their own work. Thus the book acts as a technical guide but also a conceptual guide to the newest information in this exciting field.Mass spectrometry is the central tool used in proteomic research today and is rapidly becoming indispensable to the biomedical scientist. With the completion of the human genome project and the genomic revolution, the proteomic revolution has followed closely behind. Understanding the human proteome has become critical to basic and clinical biomedical research and holds the promise of providing comprehensive understanding of human physiological processes. In addition, proteomics and mass spectrometry are bringing unprecedented biomarker discovery and are helping to personalize medicine.

Molecular chaperones are a fundamental group of proteins that have been identified only relatively recently. They are key components of a protein quality machinery in the cell which insures that the folding process of any newly-synthesized polypeptide chain results in the formation of a properly folded protein and that the folded protein is maintained in an active conformation throughout its functional lifetime. Molecular chaperones have been shown to play essential roles in cell viability under both normal and stress conditions. Chaperones can also assist in the unfolding and degradation of misfolded proteins and in disaggregating preformed protein aggregates. Chaperones are also involved in other cellular functions including protein translocation across membranes, vesicle fusion events, and protein secretion. In recent years, tremendous advances have been made in our understanding of the biology, biochemistry, and biophysics of function of molecular chaperones. In addition, recent technical developments in the fields of proteomics and genomics allowed us to obtain a global view of chaperone interaction networks. Finally, there is now a growing interest in the role of molecular chaperones in diseases. This book will provide a comprehensive analysis of the structure and function of the diverse systems of molecular chaperones and their role in cell stress responses and in diseases from a global network perspective. ​

miRNAs are a class of endogenous, small non-protein coding RNA molecules (~ 22 nucleotides) which are novel post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Since we have hundreds of miRNAs, the major challenge is now to understand their specific biological function. In fact the experimental evidence suggests that signaling pathways could be ideal candidates for miRNA-mediated regulation. Several studies suggest that miRNAs affect the responsiveness of cells to signaling molecules such as WNT, Notch, TGF-β and EGFR. Altered expression of particular miRNAs has been implicated in the onset and development of cancer and could be used as potential biomarkers for the disease.Recently, many studies have found miRNAs have crucial regulatory roles in Cancer stem cells (CSCs) a kind of tumor initiating cells (TICs) and dormancy. Findings also suggest that DNA methylation may be important in regulating the expression of many miRNAs in several cancer initiating cells. Several miRNAs are known to either upregulated or downregulated in CSCs when compared to non-cancerous cells from the same tissues. CSCs are a small subpopulation of cells identified in a variety of tumors and involve in self-renewal, differentiation, chemoresistance and tumorigenesis. The volume will give a comprehensive account of important advancements in the area of miRNAs and cancer.

This book, for the first time, comprehensively assembles and analyzes a large body of information on the role of the fundamental mechanism of the protein biosynthesis pathway, translation, in cancer biology. It systematically explores the function of the translation machinery and its regulation, including cell signaling, in the development, maintenance and progression of human cancer. The work presented here unveils the tremendous potential and applications of this vast and exciting branch of genetic, biochemical and molecular science in cancer medicine and drug development.Chapters contributed by experts in the field take the reader on a journey that starts with a dissection of the translation machinery and its regulation in norm and cancer. Later chapters characterize etiological and pathogenetic roles that translation plays in specific cancer types. Various aspects of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance of the translation machinery and its control in cancer are discussed. Readers will discover the importance of the process of translation and its regulatory mechanisms in physiology and cancer biology.The chapters and the numerous illustrations included here were contributed by expert scientists and clinicians from renowned academic and clinical establishments in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Australia.The book conveys information and knowledge that may interest a broad range of students and scholars ranging from basic scientists to clinicians and drug developers seeking to better understand the protein synthesis and its aberrations in cancer biology and cancer medicine.

The book explores cutting-edge strategies to overcome proteasome inhibitor resistance, including the second generation 20S proteasome inhibitors, novel combinational therapies, and new targets in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (e.g., ubiquitin E3 ligases, deubiquitinases, 19S proteasomal ATPases, histone deacetylases, oxidative stress and proteotoxic stress pathways and pharmacogenomic signature profiling) in resistant cancer cells. The mechanisms of action and resistance of proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib and carfilzomib in human cancers, including multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, acute leukemia, and solid tumors are explored in depth in this volume.This timely volume unveils the most current discoveries of the mechanisms behind proteasome inhibitor resistance, which will help illuminate the future of cancer therapies.

“Bioinformatics of Human Proteomics” discusses the development of methods, techniques and applications in the field of protein bioinformatics, an important direction in bioinformatics. It collects contributions from expert researchers in order to provide a practical guide to this complex field of study. The book covers the protein interaction network, drug discovery and development, the relationship between translational medicine and bioinformatics, and advances in proteomic methods, while also demonstrating important bioinformatics tools and methods available today for protein analysis, interpretation and predication. It is intended for experts or senior researchers in the fields of clinical research-related biostatistics, bioinformatics, computational biology, medicine, statistics, system biology, molecular diagnostics, biomarkers, or drug discovery and development. Dr.Xiangdong Wang works as a distinguished professor of Respiratory Medicine at Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He serves as Director of Biomedical Research Center, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital and adjunct professor of Clinical Bioinformatics at Lund University, Sweden. His main research is focused on the role of clinical bioinformatics in the development of disease-specific biomarkers and dynamic network biomarkers, the molecular mechanism of organ dysfunction and potential therapies.

Methods of proteomics have been shown to be powerful tools in search of target proteins – proteins that respond in cells to an internal or an external stimulus. Proteomics is widely used in biomedical research. However, in radiation biology research, following exposures of living matter to low doses of either ionizing or non-ionizing radiation, proteomics approach is only very slowly gaining support. This book, by presenting the current status of the use of proteomics in radiation biology, will help to attract attention to the field of radiation proteomics.

Die Zunahme unserer Kenntnisse über die molekularen Mechanismen u.a. von Wachstums-, Entwicklungs- und Differenzierungsprozessen hat die Grundlagen der molekularen Medizin innerhalb weniger Jahre erheblich erweitert. In besonderer Weise hat die Aufklärung der Basensequenz des menschlichen Genoms zu dieser Entwicklung beigetragen und die Bildung neuer Forschungsfelder wie Genomics und Proteomics ausgelöst. Die vorliegende Neuauflage der molekular- und zellbiologischen Grundlagen der Molekularen Medizin will diesen Fortschritt begleiten. In 24 Kapiteln wird der aktuelle Kenntnisstand der Molekularen Medizin von ausgewiesenen Experten dargestellt. Dieser Band sei all denen empfohlen, die als Biowissenschaftler - seien es Mediziner, Biologen, Biochemiker oder Biophysiker - an diesem Fortschritt teilhaben wollen.

The book introduces the bioinformatics tools, databases and strategies for the translational research, focuses on the biomarker discovery based on integrative data analysis and systems biological network reconstruction. With the coming of personal genomics era, the biomedical data will be accumulated fast and then it will become reality for the personalized and accurate diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of complex diseases. The book covers both state of the art of bioinformatics methodologies and the examples for the identification of simple or network biomarkers. In addition, bioinformatics software tools and scripts are provided to the practical application in the study of complex diseases. The present state, the future challenges and perspectives were discussed. The book is written for biologists, biomedical informatics scientists and clinicians, etc. Dr. Bairong Shen is Professor and Director of Center for Systems Biology, Soochow University; he is also Director of Taicang Center for Translational Bioinformatics.

The aim of this book is to provide the target audience, specifically students of Medicine, Biology, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, as well as experienced researchers in research fields relevant to metabolic syndrome (MetS) with an overview of the challenges and opportunities in systems biology and how it can be used to tackle MetS. In particular, the aims are: (1) to provide an introduction to the key biological processes involved in the pathophysiology of MetS; (2) through the use of specific examples, provide an introduction to the latest technologies that use a systems biology approach to study MetS; and (3) to give an overview of the mathematical modeling approaches for studying MetS. The clearly written chapters by leading experts in the field provides detailed descriptions crucial for the unique position of this book and its focus on the application of systems biology to tackle specific pathophysiologically relevant aspects of MetS and provides a valuable practical guide to this research community.

Undoubtedly, Drosophila melanogaster, fruit fly, has proved to be one of the most popular invertebrate model organisms, and the work horse for modern day biologists. Drosophila, a highly versatile model with a genetic legacy of more than a century, provides powerful genetic, cellular, biochemical and molecular biology tools to address many questions extending from basic biology to human diseases. One of the most important questions in biology focuses on how does a multi-cellular organism develop from a single-celled embryo. The discovery of the genes responsible for pattern formation has helped refine this question, and led to other questions, such as the role of various genetics and cell biological pathways in regulating the crucial process of pattern formation and growth during organogenesis. Drosophila eye model has been extensively used to study molecular genetic mechanisms involved in patterning and growth. Since the genetic machinery involved in the Drosophila eye is similar to humans, it has been used to model human diseases and homology to eyes in other taxa. This book will discuss molecular genetic mechanisms of pattern formation, mutations in axial patterning, Genetic regulation of growth in Drosophila eye, and more. There have been no titles in the past ten years covering this topic, thus an update is urgently needed.​

Cancer still remains a most important killer and even though synthetic chemotherapeutic agents are currently used, they are cost-intensive and do not always meet the expectations. In parallel, there is increasing evidence for the potential of nature-derived compounds on the inhibition of different steps of cancer initiation, promotion and progression. We believe that all diseases can be found in Nature but that Nature also provides the efficient cures as said the Prophet of Allah: “Allah did not create any illness without also creating the remedy”. The content of this book gives a multi-disciplinary approach into the anti-cancer research field related to natural products and dietary compounds. Mainly, it covers the area of antitumor activity through an in-depth description of the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties in cancer, inflammatory and cardio-vascular diseases. The cell death inducing mechanisms (apoptosis, anti-proliferative activity, angiogenesis, cell cycle control, cytostatic property and autophagy) give an overview of how natural products are able to target cancer cells. We believe that all diseases can be found in Nature but that Nature also provides the efficient cures as said the Prophet of Allah: “Allah did not create any illness without also creating the remedy”. The content of this book gives a multi-disciplinary approach into the anti-cancer research field related to natural products and dietary compounds. Mainly, it covers the area of antitumor activity through an in-depth description of the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties in cancer, inflammatory and cardio-vascular diseases. The cell death inducing mechanisms (apoptosis, anti-proliferative activity, angiogenesis, cell cycle control, cytostatic property and autophagy) give an overview of how natural products are able to target cancer cells.

The book aims to introduce the reader to the emerging field of Evolutionary Systems Biology, which approaches classical systems biology questions within an evolutionary framework. An evolutionary approach might allow understanding the significance of observed diversity, uncover “evolutionary design principles” and extend predictions made in model organisms to others. In addition, evolutionary systems biology can generate new insights into the adaptive landscape by combining molecular systems biology models and evolutionary simulations. This insight can enable the development of more detailed mechanistic evolutionary hypotheses.

The International Society for Systems Biology (ISSB) is a society aimed at advancing world-wide systems biology research by providing a forum for scientific discussions and various academic services. The ISSB helps coordinate researchers to form alliances for meeting the unique needs of multidisciplinary and international systems biology research. The annual International Conference on Systems Biology (ICSB) serves as the main meeting for the society and is one of the largest academic and commercial gatherings under the broad heading of ‘Systems Biology'.

Translational Cardiology: Molecular Basis of Cardiac Metabolism, Cardiac Remodeling, Translational Therapies and Imaging Techniques provides an up-to-date introduction to the role circadian rhythms, cardiac plasticity, and mechanotransduction play in the heart, while at the same time introducing new developments in cellular, viral, and non-biologic therapies that are in the process of being developed. Importantly, the focus of this book is on topics that, due to their novelty, are largely not covered in the other major textbooks. A special emphasis is placed on the molecular basis of cardiac metabolism, new concepts in cardiac remodeling, and translational therapies and imaging techniques currently under development for clinical use. The chapters are written by experts from diverse clinical and biomedical research backgrounds. Translational Cardiology: Molecular Basis of Cardiac Metabolism, Cardiac Remodeling, Translational Therapies and Imaging Techniques simplifies the complexity of the molecular basis of disease by focusing on patient-oriented disease mechanisms and therapies and is of great value to a broad audience including physicians (e.g. cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, pathologists) as well as translational biomedical researchers in a wide range of disciplines.

RNA Motifs and Regulatory Elements is the new edition of the successful book,'Regulatory RNA'. It alerts the reader to the importance of regulatory RNA elements for the many different areas of cellular life.The computational and experimental methods and tools to search for new interesting regulatory RNA structures are explained and compared. The knowledge on regulatory RNA structures and elements already available is concisely summarized as well as catalogued. In addition, interesting RNA elements are analyzed in detail regarding their dynamics, regulation, and as a dominant topic of current resarch in molecular biology, including areas such as RNA mediated regulation of gene-expression, DNA/RNA chip data, and ribozymes, splicing, or telomerases in aging. Medical implications are also covered. Future progress and research are finally outlined.

The mouse is a perfect model organism to study mammalian, and thus indirectly also human, embryology. Most scientific achievements that have had an important impact on the understanding of basic mechanisms governing embryo development in humans, originated from mouse embryology. Stem cell research, which now offers the promise of regenerative medicine, began with the isolation and culture of mouse embryonic stem cells by Martin Evans (who received the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2007 for this achievement) and Matthew Kaufman. This book provides an overview of mouse development, spanning from oocytes before fertilization to the state-of-the-art description of embryonic and adult stem cells. The chapters, written by the leading specialists in the field, deal with the most recent discoveries in this extremely fast-developing area of research.

In the last decade, there has been a remarkable explosion of knowledge in hematologic cancer from basic molecular biology and pathology to clinical therapy. This has led to many new advance and insights in the understanding of pathobiology of malignant hematology. New knowledge of disease molecular pathology, cytogenetic, epigenetic and genomic alterations have provided new strategies to attack and eradicate tumor cells at molecular level and significantly impacted our current therapeutics for hematological malignancies. The recent and ongoing rapid expansion of knowledge in this area has become extensive, dynamic and diffuse over the literature and research publications. This has led to the need to capture and compile the new and current information about hematologic cancer with special emphasis on translation from molecular pathobiology to targeted therapeutics. In this book experts from around the world share their thoughts and knowledge about the pathobiology of hematologic cancer,as well as their view on current treatment approaches and future development in these malignant hematologic diseases. This book is well suited for hematology residents, fellows and hematology-oncology physicians, hematopathologist as well as basic research scientist in the area of hematologic malignancies.

This book provides a snapshot of the state-of-the art in the study of mammalian cell nuclear architecture, and features a diverse range of chapters written by top researchers. A key aspect is an emphasis on precise and repeatable quantitative analysis and simulation in addition to the more familiar biological perspective. The fusion of such material frames the future of the discipline. Quantitative contributions stress reproducible and robust 3D analysis, using a variety of tools ranging from point pattern analysis to shape registration methods. Biological insights include the role of nuclear subdomains in cancer, nuclear molecular motors, and a holistic view of gene transcription.

The ovary is a suitable organ for studying the processes of cell death. Cell death was first described in the rabbit ovary (Graaffian follicles), the phenomenon being called ‘chromatolysis'. To date, it is recognized that various forms of cell death (programmed cell death, apoptosis and autophagy) are essential components of ovarian development and function. Programmed cell death is responsable for the ovarian endowment of primordial follicles around birth; in the prepuberal and adult period, apoptosis is a basic mechanism by which oocytes are eliminated by cancer therapies and environmental toxicants; in the ovarian cycle, follicular atresia and luteal regression involve follicular cell apoptosis. Finally, abnormalities in cell death processes may lead to ovarian disease such as cancer and chemoresistance. In this book, after an introductory description of various forms of cell death and of the ovary development and function in mammals, the processes of cell death in ovarian somatic cells and oocytes are described at cytological, physiological and molecular levels and analyzed in the embryonic, prepuberal and adult ovary. A complex array of molecular pathways triggered by extrinsic and intrinsic signals able tor induce or suppress cell death in the same cell, according to cell type and ovary developmental stage, emerges. Physiological interactions with the axis hypothalamus-hypophysis as well as ovarian internal functional signal are also critically reviewed to explain the abortive development of follicles before the beginning of the ovarian cycle. The book conveys information useful to the updating of biologists and physicians who are interested to the ovary biology and functions. Hopefully it should provide also clues for stimulating novel experiments in the study of cell death in the mammalian ovary still at an early stage.

The aim of this book is to provide the researcher with important sample preparation strategies in a wide variety of analyte molecules, specimens, methods, and biological applications requiring mass spectrometric analysis as a detection end-point. In this volume we have compiled the contributions from several laboratories which are employing mass spectrometry for biological analysis. With the latest inventions and introduction of highly sophisticated mass spectrometry equipment sample preparation becomes an extremely important bottleneck of biomedical analysis. We have a goal of giving the reader several successful examples of sample preparation, development and optimization, leading to the success in analytical steps and proper conclusions made at the end of the day. This book is structured as a compilation of contributed chapters ranging from protocols to research articles and reviews. The main philosophy of this volume is that sample preparation methods have to be optimized and validated for every project, for every sample type and for every downstream analytical technique.

Now in its second edition, this handbook collects authoritative contributions on modern methods and tools in statistical bioinformatics with a focus on the interface between computational statistics and cutting-edge developments in computational biology. The three parts of the book cover statistical methods for single-cell analysis, network analysis, and systems biology, with contributions by leading experts addressing key topics in probabilistic and statistical modeling and the analysis of massive data sets generated by modern biotechnology. This handbook will serve as a useful reference source for students, researchers and practitioners in statistics, computer science and biological and biomedical research, who are interested in the latest developments in computational statistics as applied to computational biology.

Molecular biology has rapidly advanced since the discovery of the basic flow of information in life, from DNA to RNA to proteins. While there are several important and interesting exceptions to this general flow of information, the importance of these biological macromolecules in dictating the phenotypic nature of living creatures in health and disease is paramount. In the last one and a half decades, and particularly after the completion of the Human Genome Project, there has been an explosion of technologies that allow the broad characterization of these macromolecules in physiology, and the perturbations to these macromolecules that occur in diseases such as cancer. In this volume, we will explore the modern approaches used to characterize these macromolecules in an unbiased, systematic way. Such technologies are rapidly advancing our knowledge of the coordinated and complicated changes that occur during carcinogenesis, and are providing vital information that, when correctly interpreted by biostatistical/bioinformatics analyses, can be exploited for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human cancers. The purpose of this volume is to provide an overview of modern molecular biological approaches to unbiased discovery in cancer research. Advances in molecular biology allowing unbiased analysis of changes in cancer initiation and progression will be overviewed. These include the strategies employed in modern genomics, gene expression analysis, and proteomics.

Aging is loosely defined as the accumulation of changes in an organism over time. At the cellular level such changes are distinct and multidimensional: DNA replication ceases, cells stop dividing, they become senescent and eventually die. DNA metabolism and chromosomal maintenance, together with protein metabolism are critical in the aging process. The focus of this book is on the role of protein metabolism and homeostasis in aging. An overview is provided of the current knowledge in the area, including protein synthesis, accuracy and repair, post-translational modifications, degradation and turnover, and how they define and influence aging. The chapters mainly focus on well-characterised factors and pathways, but new areas are also presented, where associations with aging are just being elucidated by current experimental data. Protein turnover, the balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation are carefully maintained in healthy cells. Chapters 1 and 2 illustrate that aging cells are characterised by alterations in the rate, level and accuracy of protein synthesis compared to young ones, and that mRNA translation, essential for cell growth and survival, is controlled at multiple levels. The theory that growth and somatic maintenance are believed to be antagonistic processes is described in Chapter 3: inhibition of protein synthesis results in decreased rates of growth and development, but also confers an extension of lifespan, as shown for example by the effects of dietary restriction in various models organisms.

The ubiquitin system plays an essential role in numerous cellular processes by controlling protein stability and function. An understanding of the mechanisms governing these processes is likely to allow the identification of novel targets for pharmacological intervention. This work covers the developments in this field.

The silencing of gene expression by small interfering RNAs has been recognized for only a relatively short time, but this has transformed our understanding of both transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanisms. Multiple pathways culminate in formation of an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) containing a member of the Argonaute protein family bound to a 22-nt RNA strand that interacts with a target mRNA or gene through Watson-Crick base pairing. One consequence is mRNA-specific inhibition of protein synthesis. Evidence has been presented for diverse mechanisms, but there is not universal agreement in the field of how RISCs affect the translational machinery. The chapters collected in this volume represent contribution by leaders in the search to understand how miRNAs affect translation. They include chapters representing work in plants and Caenorhabditis elegans, the biological systems that originally led to the discovery of small interfering RNAs, but also include chapters on mammalian systems, with special emphasis on regulation of a key tumor suppressor and a protein that restricts human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1).

Mammalian cell lines command an effective monopoly for the production of therapeutic proteins that require post-translational modifications. This unique advantage outweighs the costs associated with mammalian cell culture, which are far grater in terms of development time and manufacturing when compared to microbial culture. The development of cell lines has undergone several advances over the years, essentially to meet the requirement to cut the time and costs associated with using such a complex hosts as production platforms. This book provides a comprehensive guide to the methodology involved in the development of cell lines and the cell engineering approach that can be employed to enhance productivity, improve cell function, glycosylation and secretion and control apoptosis. It presents an overall picture of the current topics central to expression engineering including such topics as epigenetics and the use of technologies to overcome positional dependent inactivation, the use of promoter and enhancer sequences for expression of various transgenes, site directed engineering of defined chromosomal sites, and examination of the role of eukaryotic nucleus as the controller of expression of genes that are introduced for production of a desired product. It includes a review of selection methods for high producers and an application developed by a major biopharmaceutical industry to expedite the cell line development process. The potential of cell engineering approch to enhance cell lines through the manipulation of single genes that play important roles in key metabolic and regulatory pathways is also explored throughout.