Novartis – författare

Understanding stem cells at the molecular level is essential to understanding their behaviour in a physiological context. This volume in our acclaimed Novartis Foundation series features animated discussion from the world’s experts in this topic on the important ethical issues that are raised by research on stem cells. They review the various regulatory regimes, which apply in different countries – a key factor in determining where future stem cell research is carried out. Potential clinical applications covered in the book include the production of cardiomyocytes to replace damaged heart tissue, the production of insulin-producing cells for patients with diabetes, and the generation of neurons for the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease or spinal cord injury. Particular attention is paid to the factors that maintain stem cells in a pluripotent state or which drive them to create differentiated and lineage-committed cells in vitro and in vivo.  Nuclear reprogramming, the process by which a nucleus acquires developmental potential, is covered here as well. It is relevant to stem cell research generally, and also to research on the cloning of animals by nuclear transfer. This book is an essential purchase for all those engaged in stem cell research, whether in the laboratory, the clinic or the regulatory authorities.From the reviews:"...this book provides: a comprehensive overview of current issues in stem cell research, with contributions from leading figures..."—BRITISH SOCIETY OF CELL BIOLOGY

Nature employs a wide variety of sex determining mechanisms and it is only comparatively recently that the tools have become available for these to be explored at the cellular and molecular 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.  This book reviews and discusses our current understanding of the molecular genetic pathways of sex determination, with special emphasis on vertebrates. It features comparisons with other modes of sex determination, consideration of the biology of sexual development and discussion of the evolution of sex-determining mechanisms.By bringing together an international and interdisciplinary group of experts who study many different aspects of the problem, the book highlights much new and exciting work in this area and serves to identify and stimulate promising new research directions.

This book draws together contributions from some of the leading investigators in the field of autism to consider specific problem areas in current research. Each contributor brings expertise from a different field, providing a balanced view of the whole spectrum of study of this disorder. It covers four main areas: Twin and family studies indicate that the heritability of the underlying liability to autism exceeds 90% and point to a multifactorial causation, involving a relatively small number of susceptibility genes. The book discusses this issue in detail, along with the problem of why some additional symptoms are associated with autism while others are not.New techniques are available for examining the neurobiology of autism. The book contains results from imaging studies showing the contributions of different brain regions to autism. It includes neuropathological data and examines the neuropharmacology of autism.There is considerable discussion concerning the fundamental psychological deficit in children with autism. There is good evidence that "Theory of Mind" deficits are associated with autism and this issue is discussed in the book, as are other competing possibilities.The most important practical question facing medical and psychological practitioners is how to help children with autism. The evidence relating to possible psychological or psychiatric interventions for rehabilitation of children with autism is examined in detail. Drug treatments have generally been disappointing in this field and there is one chapter devoted specifically to this problem.The book focusses ultimately on intervention studies and so is of practical relevance to people interested in helping autistic children. In addition, it provides a very convenient summary of the principal controversies which currently exist in research on autism.

The astounding diversity of the immune system and the complexity of its regulatory pathways makes immunology a combinatorial science. Computational analysis has therefore become an essential element of immunology research and this has led to the creation of the emerging field of immunoinformatics. This book is the first to feature thorough coverage of this new field. Immunoinformatics facilitates the understanding of immune function by modelling the interactions among immunological components. Biological research provides ever deeper insights into the complexity of living organisms while computer science provides an effective means to store and analyse large volumes of complex data. Combining the two fields increases the efficiency of biological research and offers the potential for major advances in the study of biological systems.This book encompasses key developments in immunoinformatics, including immunological databases, sequence analysis, structure modelling, mathematical modelling of the immune system, simulation of laboratory experiments, statistical support for immunological experimentation and immunogenomics.The difficulties in effective application of bioinformatic tools in immunology arise at both ends of the spectrum: most immunologists have only a limited comprehension of sophisticated data analysis and applicability and limitations, while the average computer scientist lacks knowledge of the depth and complexity of biological data. The purpose of this book, therefore, is to present contributions from a multidisciplinary team of biologists and computer scientists to explore the issues related to better understanding of immune function and, in particular, to help apply new computer science methods to immunological research.Related Novartis Foundation symposia:247 In Silico Simulation of Biological ProcessesChair: Denis Noble252 Generation and effector functions of regulatory lymphocytesChair: Jean-François Bach

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. This exciting book brings together leading clinicians and researchers to discuss oestrogen's basic mechanisms of action, the extrahypothalmic brain regions it affects, and its influence on cognitive functions in animals and humans. Finally, recent research on the role of oestrogens in ageing and dementia, including the significance of oestrogen action in Alzheimer's disease, is discussed. The 15 papers contained in this book, together with the extensive discussion sessions that follow them, reveal much new and exciting work in this area, and identify promising new research directions.

The field of neural transplantation is at a crucial stage in its development, with results of important clinical trials on transplantation in patients with Parkinson's disease expected soon and novel, alternative approaches to fetal transplantation being actively investigated. This timely book brings together leading neuroscientists, clinicians, and cell and developmenta; biologists to discuss the use of neural transplants in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, 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, such as xenografts, encapsulated cells and immortalized stem cells. With authoritative contributions and lively discussion sections, this book draws together much new and exciting work in this field, and identifies promising new research directions.

This book brings together scientists working at the interface between the cell cycle, cell growth and development in a variety of model systems and research paradigms. The focus is on understanding how such diverse developmental inputs can modulate cell cycle regulation and, reciprocally, how a common way of regulating cell cycle progression can participate in different developmental strategies.

This important and exciting work brings together a high-calibre group of experts to discuss the practical application of genomic information to the development of drugs. Recent technological advances have led to a rapid acceleration in our ability to gather genetic data. The complete genetic sequences are now known for 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 major book covers such subjects as the current state of the art in squencing 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 genomics from the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry.