Seymour Garte - Böcker

"I think this is an excellent book–I recommend it to anyone involved in molecular epidemiology... The 26 chapters are written by topic specialists, in an explanatory, east to read style." –BTS Newsletter, Summer 2009 "This text provides an accessible and useful handbook for the epidemiologist who wants to survey the field, to become better informed, to look at recent developments and get some background on these or simply to appreciate further the relatively rapid changes in informatic and analytical technologies which increasingly will serve and underpin future epidemiological studies.  One of the strengths in this book is the extensive array of practical illustrative examples, and it would also in my opinion have useful potential as a teaching text." –American Journal of Human Biology, March 2009 With the sequencing of the human genome and the mapping of millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms, epidemiology has moved into the molecular domain. Scientists can now use molecular markers to track disease-associated genes in populations, enabling them to study complex chronic diseases that might result from the weak interactions of many genes with the environment. Use of these laboratory generated biomarker data and an understanding of disease mechanisms are increasingly important in elucidating disease aetiology. Molecular Epidemiology of Disease crosses the disciplinary boundaries between laboratory scientists, epidemiologists, clinical researchers and biostatisticians and is accessible to all these relevant research communities in focusing on practical issues of application, rather than reviews of current areas of research.  Covers categories of biomarkers of exposure, susceptibility and diseaseIncludes chapters on novel technologies: genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabonomics, which are increasingly finding application in population studiesEmphasizes new statistical and bioinformatics approaches necessitated by the large data sets generated using these new methodologiesDemonstrates the potential applications of laboratory techniques in tackling epidemiological problems while considering their limitations, including the sources of uncertainty and inaccuracyDiscusses issues such as reliability (compared to traditional epidemiological methods) and the timing of exposureExplores practical elements of conducting population studies, including biological repositories and ethicsMolecular Epidemiology of Disease provides an easy-to-use, clearly presented handbook that allows epidemiologists to understand the specifics of research involving biomarkers, and laboratory scientists to understand the main issues of epidemiological study design and analysis. It also provides a useful tool for courses on molecular epidemiology, using many examples from population studies to illustrate key concepts and principles.

Despite progress in many areas of treatment and control, cancer remains a frightening threat to everyone. While scientists have known for decades that the majority of human cancers are caused by environmental agents such as radiation and the chemicals in cigarette smoke, not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer. Furthermore, many people who assiduously avoid all possible risk from smoking, diet, and pollution still succumb to some form of cancer later in life. Does this mean that there is an element of blind chance in the underlying mechanisms of human carcinogenesis? To what extent do genetic influences play a role in determining the cancer risk of individuals? A number of "cancer families", in which several closely-related individuals have suffered from various specific forms of cancer, have been studied by genetic epidemiologists. However, for the majority of cancer cases, little or no discernible genetic influence or family history is found. This text explains that this idea of "bad genes" may contain an unexpected positive side.The carcinogenic effects of these metabolic genes, unlike those of the oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes that are responsible for the inherited cancer syndromes, can potentially be overcome or nullified. This volume should provide a useful reference for health professionals, researchers, clinicians and biomedical scientists who are interested in the current thinking in this critically important area of cancer management.