Bøger i Methods in Molecular Medicine serien

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown leading to cerebral edema occurs in many brain diseases-such as trauma, stroke, inflammation, infection, and tumors-and is an important factor in the mortality arising from these con- tions.

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, there are still 400 million people, worldwide who are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Given the possible consequences of HBV infection, the number of those chronically infected with HBV presents an enormous public health challenge.

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, there are still 400 million people, worldwide who are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Given the possible consequences of HBV infection, the number of those chronically infected with HBV presents an enormous public health challenge.

We are currently experiencing a fundamental shift in the way in which we approach the characterization of cancer. These drugs are only the forerunners of a coming tidal wave of novel therapeutics that individually target specific m- ecules within cancer cells-more than 300 such agents are currently in phase I or II clinical trials.

In part through cross-species compa- sons and multidisciplinary approaches (combining, for example, classical embry- ogy, genetics, molecular biology, and systems biology), major questions have often been redefined and examined from new angles and with innovative tools.

Studies are numerous and incorporate data on stroke inheritance, chromosomal loci of risk, preclinical models of stroke, and differential gene expression of brain injury, repair, and recovery.

Molecular Cardiology: Methods and Protocols consists of 26 chapters de- ing with various aspects of molecular cardiology, including gene transfer and gene therapy for cardiovascular disease, stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disease, gene analysis in the injured and hypertrophied heart, and transgenesis in cardiovascular research.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, but is quickly becoming an epidemic in such well-populated countries as China, India, and other developing nations.

A comprehensive manual in the broad and deep field of cardiovascular medicine, this volume covers a wide spectrum of techniques encompassing biochemical, pharmacological and molecular biology disciplines currently used to assess vascular disease progression.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries, but is quickly becoming an epidemic in such well-populated countries as China, India, and other developing nations.

This latest addition to the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, Anti- ral Methods and Protocols, is opportune because there is an increasing int- est in discovering compounds that are effective against both chronic and acute viral infections.

The first draft of the human genome sequence was announced in June 2000, and we have just scratched the surface of the changes it will engender in medicine. A relevant question is what are the long-term effects of the Human Genome Project for medicine? First, the Human Genome Project introduced a new type of s- ence-discovery science.

A qualitative leap in the understanding of cardiovascular and n- ral regulation by the renin-angiotensin system, and of the role of this s- tem in tissue damage, has occurred as a result of the many recent advances in molecular genetic techniques. The cloning of the genes for the components of the renin-angiotensin system, the design of specific angiotensin receptor ligands, and the use of embryonic gene targeting te- niques for the creation of mutant strains have established that the renin- angiotensin system is important in blood pressure regulation, ion and fluid homeostasis, and tissue growth and remodeling Further investigation of the mechanisms by which this system p- ticipates in cardiovascular regulation may shed some light on the pat- genesis of several cardiovascular diseases, e. g. , hypertension, congestive heart failure, and chronic renal failure. Despite the promise of this system as a target for therapeutic interventions for these diseases, there are great challenges in the integration of the attempts to close the gap between the traditional literature of medicine and the explosion of information from the new technologies. This book's title, Angiotensin Protocols, reflects the authors' strong efforts to translate expert knowledge into easy-to-follow practice. The book opens with introductory chapters, and each specialty section provides detailed methods covering a wide variety of techniques, ranging from genetic manipulation of targeted genes to functional studies of the renin- angiotensin system.

In keeping with the organization used effectively in other volumes in this series, each chapter has a brief introduction followed by a list of required items, protocols, and notes designed to help the reader perform the expe- ments without difficulty.

A comprehensive manual in the broad and deep field of cardiovascular medicine, this volume covers a wide spectrum of techniques encompassing biochemical, pharmacological and molecular biology disciplines currently used to assess vascular disease progression.

Allergy: Methods and Protocols aims to assist the researcher in gaining insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in allergy by featuring an array of protocols.

Internationally recognized investigators review the latest developments in, and novel approaches to, understanding the prion protein and prion diseases at the molecular level.

This is a compendium of data pertinent to the methods and protocols that have contributed to recent advances in molecular medicine in general, but to the molecular basis of rheumatic disease in particular. Leaders in the field contribute to cover exciting and cutting edge topics.

In particular, the methods can be used to identify in clinical samples those genetic mutations responsible for such congenital abnormalities as Marfan syndrome, Williams-Beuren Syndrome, Alagille syndrome, Noonan syndrome, and Friedreich ataxia.

In particular, the methods can be used to identify in clinical samples those genetic mutations responsible for such congenital abnormalities as Marfan syndrome, Williams-Beuren Syndrome, Alagille syndrome, Noonan syndrome, and Friedreich ataxia.

A panel of internationally recognized research scientists and clinical investigators brings together a diverse collection of readily reproducible methods for identifying and quantifying a large number of specific genetic abnormalities associated with the broad spectrum of myeloid malignancies. Highlights include techniques for the detection of BCR-ABL mutations and resistance to imatinib mesylate, detection of the FIP1L1-PDGFRA fusion in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome and chronic eosinophilic leukemia, classification of AML by DNA-oligonucleotide microarrays, and detection of the V617F JAK2 mutation in myeloproliferative disorders. In addition to gene rearrangments, other prognostically relevant molecular lesions such as FLT3 mutations and WT-1 overexpression are covered.

Cancer Radiotherapy Protocols gives a timely account of modern radiotherapy planning, an important tool in the armory of oncologists who manage patients with cancer. Leading experts in the field explain how to plan the radiotherapy of cancer patients across the range of tumor sites. Bringing an original approach, the book not only describes a method for delivery of radiotherapy, but also the notes on problems encountered and methods to overcome these problems. The text provides a reference for, and is particularly focused on, radiation oncologists in training and will be of use for established radiation oncologists and for radiographers and physicists as well. This volume supports the training and development of radiotherapy skills in an up to date, precise and safe manner.

With one-third of the world's population infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, over two million people a year dying from tuberculosis, and the appearance of multidrug-resistant strains, the need to understand the biology of M. tuberculosis, and so to develop new interventions, has become acute. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protocols, leading investigators with extensive practical knowledge and experience describe their best methods for studying this dangerous pathogen. Packed with step-by-step instructions to ensure successful results, these methods range from basic handling techniques to the application of functional genomics. These molecular techniques are suitable for research in genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, cell biology, epidemiology, and diagnostics, and are at the forefront of biological research as a whole, as well as in focused M. tuberculosis research. Highlights include methods for the basic safety and culture of M. tuberculosis, fractionation of the bacterium (nucleic acids, lipids, culture filtrate, and capsule), the analysis of gene expression (start-site mapping, real-time PCR, microarrays, and proteomics), the growth of the bacterium in macrophages and low oxygen, cytological analysis of the bacteria, and diagnostics. Highly practical and accessible, Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protocols utilizes advanced functional genomics and mutagenesis methodologies to provide both experimental and clinical investigators all the powerful techniques needed to illuminate the molecular biology of tuberculosis and its interactions with host cells, and so drive work on the wide variety of emerging therapeutic opportunities.

The last decade has seen a tremendous advance in our understanding of bone biology. The genes responsible for the majority of rare inherited bone disorders have been identified and much progress has been made in the identification of genes in polygenic disorders such as Paget's disease and complex multigene diseases such as osteoporosis. Transgenic technology has identified further genes, sometimes unexpectedly, with profound effects on bone. This wealth of new genetic information will undoubtedly lead to extensive cell biological studies to understand the mechanisms by which these gene products affect bone mass and bone strength. In Bone Research Protocols a catalogue of protocols has been assembled to perform such mechanistic studies. In the tradition of the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, the chapters are practical laboratory protocols that should enable the reader to carry out the techniques from scratch. To our knowledge this is the first time such a truly practical manual on well-established bone methods has been assembled, and this volume aims to be complementary to and follow on from the more theoretical Methods in Bone Biology, edited by Arnett and Henderson (1).