Contemporary Cancer Research – serie

Award-winning researchers review of key aspects of DNA repair in a wide variety of organisms, including all-important model systems. The book focuses on DNA damage and repair in prokaryotic and model eukaryotic systems, emphasizing the significant progress that has been made in the past five years. Each chapter has undergone a rigorous peer-review cycle to ensure definitive and comprehensive treatment. Major topics include UV and X-Ray repair, repair of chemical damage, recombinational repair, mismatch repair, transcription-repair coupling, and the role of DNA repair in cell cycle regulation.

Cutting edge reviews by leading researchers illuminate key aspects of DNA repair in mammalian systems and its relationship to human genetic disease and cancer. Major topics include UV and X-Ray repair, repair of chemical damage, recombinational repair, mismatch repair, transcription-repair coupling, and the role of DNA repair in disease prevention. Extensive up-to-date references and rigorous peer-review of each chapter make this volume definitive and bring it to the active frontiers of research.

A comprehensive state-of-the-art summary of breast cancer research and treatment by leading authorities. The book's many distinguished contributors illuminate the biology and genetics of breast cancer, including what is known about the hereditary breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and 2, the cutting-edge cytogenic approaches, and the biology of breast cancer metastasis. In addition, the authors describe current and future methods of breast cancer treatment in depth, and discuss environment and diet as risk factors for the disease. Breast Cancer: Molecular Genetics, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutics constitutes an excellent reference and resource for all those clinical and experimental oncologists, as well as genetic counselors nurses, who need to understand the latest developments in breast cancer biology, risk, and treatment.

Chemokines and Cancer synthesizes a state-of-the-art understanding of the role that chemokines and their receptors play in the pathophysiology of malignancy. It examines the influence of chemokines on a broad array of malignant cells, including their effects on such intrinsic properties as growth and movement, as well as exploring their influence on the host's response to a growing tumor. The authors also demonstrate the physiological consequences of chemokine expression and suggest how chemokines can be used to regulate tumor growth in vivo, including their direct effects on tumor growth, on tumor destruction by host inflammatory cells, and on tumor angiogenesis. The only book available that relates chemokines to cancer, Chemokines and Cancer holds out the promise of novel therapeutic approaches to malignancy through the manipulation of chemokines and/or their receptors.

Jac A. Nickoloff and Merl F. Hoekstra update and expand their two earlier acclaimed volumes (Vol. I: DNA Repair in Prokaryotes and Lower Eukaryotes and Vol. II: DNA Repair in Higher Eurkaryotes) with cutting-edge reviews by leading authorities of primary experimental findings about DNA repair processes in cancer biology. The reviews cover a wide range of topics from viruses and prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes, and include several new topics, among them the role of recombination in replication of damaged DNA, X-ray crystallographic analysis of DNA repair protein structures, DNA repair proteins and teleomere function, and the roles of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in DNA repair. Authoritative and up-to-date, DNA Damage and Repair, Vol. III: Advances from Phage to Humans surveys the rapidly moving research in DNA damage and repair, and explains the important functional relationships among different DNA repair pathways and the relationship between DNA repair pathways, cancer etiology, and cancer therapies.

Jac A. Nickoloff and Merl F. Hoekstra update and expand their two earlier acclaimed volumes (Vol. I: DNA Repair in Prokaryotes and Lower Eukaryotes and Vol. II: DNA Repair in Higher Eurkaryotes) with cutting-edge reviews by leading authorities of primary experimental findings about DNA repair processes in cancer biology. The reviews cover a wide range of topics from viruses and prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes, and include several new topics, among them the role of recombination in replication of damaged DNA, X-ray crystallographic analysis of DNA repair protein structures, DNA repair proteins and teleomere function, and the roles of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in DNA repair. Authoritative and up-to-date, DNA Damage and Repair, Vol. III: Advances from Phage to Humans surveys the rapidly moving research in DNA damage and repair, and explains the important functional relationships among different DNA repair pathways and the relationship between DNA repair pathways, cancer etiology, and cancer therapies.

Chemokines and Cancer synthesizes a state-of-the-art understanding of the role that chemokines and their receptors play in the pathophysiology of malignancy. It examines the influence of chemokines on a broad array of malignant cells, including their effects on such intrinsic properties as growth and movement, as well as exploring their influence on the host's response to a growing tumor. The authors also demonstrate the physiological consequences of chemokine expression and suggest how chemokines can be used to regulate tumor growth in vivo, including their direct effects on tumor growth, on tumor destruction by host inflammatory cells, and on tumor angiogenesis. The only book available that relates chemokines to cancer, Chemokines and Cancer holds out the promise of novel therapeutic approaches to malignancy through the manipulation of chemokines and/or their receptors.

Cutting edge reviews by leading researchers illuminate key aspects of DNA repair in mammalian systems and its relationship to human genetic disease and cancer. Major topics include UV and X-Ray repair, repair of chemical damage, recombinational repair, mismatch repair, transcription-repair coupling, and the role of DNA repair in disease prevention. Extensive up-to-date references and rigorous peer-review of each chapter make this volume definitive and bring it to the active frontiers of research.

A comprehensive guide for both scientists and clinicians to recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular processes involved in the initiation, progression, and clinical and biological behavior of brain tumors. The authors review the latest findings on the molecular biology, genetics, epidemiology, and pathology of brain tumors, detailing new knowledge about molecular profiling, molecular pathology and classification, in vitro and in vivo brain tumor models, brain metastasis, and progenitor cell biology. They also discuss in depth the cellular and genetic pathways involved in brain oncogenesis, malignant progression, and therapeutic response, highlighting oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, DNA damage and repair, invasion and migration, cell cycle, growth factors, signaling, apoptosis, and developmental biology. The discussion of brain tumor therapy focuses on advances in pharmacological thinking, therapeutic modalities, novel therapeutic targets, rational drug design, gene and viral therapies, drug delivery and the blood brain barrier, immunotherapy, and brain imaging.

In the past, many tumor marker laboratory tests have not been sensitive enough for the very early detection of cancer. However, many of them have nonetheless proved useful in monitoring therapy, following the course of the tumor, and predicting prog- nosis. Today, cancer may be viewed as a genetic disease with various specific chromo- somal and nucleotide aberrations, such as mutations, deletions, gene amplification, gene rearrangements, and translocations occurring during the transformation of a nor- mal cell into a malignant cell. The considerable advances in technology during the past several years have greatly enhanced our ability to detect human cancers in the very early stages of tumor forma- tion. These technologies include: (1) nucleotide molecular assays (genomics); (2) proteomics (multiplex protein measurements); (3) DNA microarrays; and (4) bio- informatics. Many of these technologies are already helping in the integration and use of multiple biomarkers for tumors. Although the individual biomarkers may reveal only limited information, the use of multiple biomarkers can help markedly elevate the diagnostic capabilities for early detection of tumors.

A complete introduction and guide to the latest developments in cancer gene therapy - from bench to bedside. The authors comprehensively review the anticancer genes and gene delivery methods currently available for cancer gene therapy, including the transfer of genetic material into the cancer cells, stimulation of the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells, and the targeting of the nonmalignant stromal cells that support their growth. They also thoroughly examine the advantages and limitations of the different therapies and detail strategies to overcome obstacles to their clinical implementation. Topics of special interest include vector-targeting techniques, the lessons learned to date from clinical trials of cancer gene therapy, and the regulatory guidelines for future trials. Noninvasive techniques to monitor the extent of gene transfer and disease regression during the course of treatment are also discussed.

Prostate Cancer: Biology, Genetics, and the New Therapeutics, Second Edition, reviews new, valuable approaches to the treatment of prostate cancer in men. The latest edition contains new material on molecular imaging, new treatments for prostate cancer, molecular targets, cell signaling pathways, bioinformatics, and pathogenomics. The book details the latest innovations and advances in prostate cancer and may be used as a rapid reference text for readers. The volume profiles the latest advances in cancer research and treatment and includes profound studies in prostate stem cells, cancer-host interactions, hedgehog signaling in development and cancer, cholesterol and cell signaling, gene therapy for advanced prostate cancer, and noninvasive strategies such as molecular imaging to visualize gene expression. This new edition also investigates expression profiling and somatic alterations in prostate cancer progression and linkage studies of prostate cancer families to identify susceptibility genes. The issues of racial differences in prostate cancer mortality, radiotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer, recombinant antibody candidates for treatment, taxane-based chemotherapy, lethal phenotypes, and novel and efficient translation clinical trials are also presented in great depth. Prostate Cancer: Biology, Genetics, and the New Therapeutics, Second Edition, provides readers with a general reference for prostate cancer from prevention to therapy and will be of value to clinicians, scientists, and administrators who strive to solve the cancer problem.

The text presents the major scientific advances and developments in brain tumor research of the last two decades. What sets Brain Tumors apart from other existing texts is that it focuses on recent research advances, instead of addressing preexisting material. The first section is devoted to molecular genetics, molecular epidemiology, pathology, and immunology of brain tumors, while the second section focuses on the cellular and genetic pathways involved in brain oncogenes, malignant progression and therapeutic response. The third section cover therapeutic approaches to brain tumors. Topics discussed include DNA damage and repair, invasion and migration, signaling, and apoptosis, as well as areas relevant to brain tumor therapy, advances in pharmacological concepts and therapeutic modalities. This volume provides the established brain tumor scientist and clinician, as well as the new investigator, graduate, or undergraduate student, a comprehensive up-to-date guide to the critical research topics in the ever-evolving area of neuro-oncology.

A comprehensive state-of-the-art summary of breast cancer research and treatment by leading authorities. The book's many distinguished contributors illuminate the biology and genetics of breast cancer, including what is known about the hereditary breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and 2, the cutting-edge cytogenic approaches, and the biology of breast cancer metastasis. In addition, the authors describe current and future methods of breast cancer treatment in depth, and discuss environment and diet as risk factors for the disease. Breast Cancer: Molecular Genetics, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutics constitutes an excellent reference and resource for all those clinical and experimental oncologists, as well as genetic counselors nurses, who need to understand the latest developments in breast cancer biology, risk, and treatment.

Exciting new developments and discoveries of the last two decades are beginning to shed light on the complex biology of brain tumors and are advancing our understa- ing of the cellular and molecular processes involved in their initiation, progression, and clinical and biological behavior. The disease process in brain tumors is quite complex and the resulting tumors are characterized by a high degree of biological and clinical diversity. Thus, despite the advances of the last two decades, prognosis for patients with malignant brain tumors remains abysmal. Significant progress in the diagnosis, treatment and, ultimately, prevention of these tumors will require both the timely h- nessing of the advances in basic and clinical brain tumor research, and a continuing concerted effort at increasing our understanding of brain tumor biology, in particular, the molecular genetic changes and perturbations of cellular pathways involved in brain oncogenesis and which drive the biological and clinical behavior of the tumors. Brain tumor diagnosis and prognosis, which is still largely based on histopathology and other clinical criteria, will, in the future, acquire a significant molecular component, with the incorporation of knowledge of genes that are mutated, over-expressed, deleted, silenced, or functionally altered in the tumors. Treatment strategies for brain tumors, rather than being empirical, will be rationally developed based on an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms and targets that have been activated, suppressed, or otherwise altered.

In the past, many tumor marker laboratory tests have not been sensitive enough for the very early detection of cancer. However, many of them have nonetheless proved useful in monitoring therapy, following the course of the tumor, and predicting prog- nosis. Today, cancer may be viewed as a genetic disease with various specific chromo- somal and nucleotide aberrations, such as mutations, deletions, gene amplification, gene rearrangements, and translocations occurring during the transformation of a nor- mal cell into a malignant cell. The considerable advances in technology during the past several years have greatly enhanced our ability to detect human cancers in the very early stages of tumor forma- tion. These technologies include: (1) nucleotide molecular assays (genomics); (2) proteomics (multiplex protein measurements); (3) DNA microarrays; and (4) bio- informatics. Many of these technologies are already helping in the integration and use of multiple biomarkers for tumors. Although the individual biomarkers may reveal only limited information, the use of multiple biomarkers can help markedly elevate the diagnostic capabilities for early detection of tumors.