This collection of thoughtful and provocative articles focused on the key issues in apoptosis, ranges from the role of apoptosis in defining the response of authentic tumor populations to chemotherapeutic agents to the mechanisms coupling DNA damage to the activation pathway of apoptosis. It reviews the profusion of new signaling, modulating, and effector molecules now implicated in apoptosis and whether other routes to ‘programmed‘ cell death may exist. Also addressed are the nature of the molecules that will either constitute targets for future drugs or influence the efficacy of current therapies, as well as mechanistic questions on the control of apoptosis.
The aim of Apoptosis and Cancer is to describe the performance of contemporary techniques for studying the biology of apoptosis and its role in cancer. The protocols described will aid both the academic laboratory interested in further characterizing the mechanisms of apoptosis, as well as the industry laboratory, aimed at identifying new target molecules or screening for new compounds with potential clinical use.
Harmonious survival of the entire organism depends on the rigorous preservation of the controls that regulate the balance between the cell’s replication and apoptosis. This balance depends largely, although not exclusively, on the integrity of the genome. Cancer is a flagrant illustration of the danger of imbalance between cell proliferation and cell death. As cells replicate unfettered by normal controls, they invade the surrounding healthy population of cells, and they colonize distant organs. This book introduces readers to the molecules involved in apoptosis and genomic integrity and considers the gain or loss of the functions that lead to cancer. This resource is designed for scientists in the medical sciences, cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, public health, toxicology, experimental pathology, and radiation biology.
The Biology of Cancer synthesizes the findings of three decades of recent cancer research and proposes a conceptual framework from which to teach about these discoveries. It provides the necessary structure, organization, and content for a course on cancer biology for advanced undergraduates and beginning doctoral students. The book is comprehensive and offers many pedagogical features to assist teaching and learning. The text provides current information on topics such as tumor stem cells and recently introduced chemotherapeutics. State-of-the-art techniques are discussed throughout. Modern biomedical research is explored, helping readers to hone their analytical abilities and to assimilate and think clearly about complex biological processes.
This volume describes new techniques for the culture of cancer cells. The first section introduces the rationale behind selection of specific materials to help the researcher select culture conditions appropriate to their studies and discusses general techniques operating in many culture facilities. The second section covers specific requirements of individual cancer cell types for optimal growth and maintenance. A range of procedures are described in section three which include assays to evaluate proliferation, viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Techniques of gene transfer and the development of drug resistance are also described. The book concludes with methods of co-culture of different cell types.
A collection of reproducible experimental methods for studying the subversion of normal cell signaling that leads to cancer. Presented in step-by-step detail to ensure success, the methods include techniques for the investigation of apoptosis and cell death, complementary protocols for manipulating and/or monitoring oncogenic signals in cancer cells, and techniques for studying protein–protein interactions. A protocol for capturing pure samples of malignant cells from frozen tissue specimens and two alternative techniques for analyzing their genomic DNA are also described.
A collection of key cytogenetic and FISH techniques used by modern clinical laboratories in the genetic analysis of human malignancies. The book's practical advice and methods are suitable for use at every level of expertise, including fully established laboratories, but with a sympathetic bias towards anyone considering setting up a new cytogenetics service. Here the reader will find not only elementary tutorials on the fundamentals of human karyotypes and chromosome analysis, but also detailed discussions on how laboratories may optimally upgrade their repertoire of capabilities to include such newer complementary techniques as CGH, FISH, and M-FISH.
Experts summarize the latest discoveries concerning the changes that occur in tumor cells as they develop resistance to anticancer drugs, and suggest new approaches to preventing and overcoming it. The authors review physiological resistance based upon tumor architecture, cellular resistance based on drug transport, epigenetic changes that neutralize or bypass drug cytotoxicity, and genetic changes that alter drug target molecules by decreasing or eliminating drug binding and efficacy. Highlights include new insights into resistance to antiangiogenic therapies, oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in therapeutic resistance, cancer stem cells, and the development of more effective therapies. There are also new findings on gene amplification in drug resistance, and the molecular determinants of multidrug resistance.
Cancer and the Search for Selective Biochemical Inhibitors, 2nd ed.
The Second Edition delineates the underlying biochemical principles for alternative cancer therapies. Completely revised and updated, this edition includes coverage of the link between concepts and practices of alternative and conventional medicine. The author examines anticancer plant substances and other alternatives such as Vitamin C, essiac tea, shark cartilage, and cat’s claw. The text also addresses the problem of determining selective and non-toxic enzyme inhibitors for cancer cell metabolic pathways.
Cell Cycle and Growth Control: Biomolecular Regulation and Cancer, 2nd ed.
The groups of specialized cells that make up the various human tissues depend on an intricate communication network to regulate gene expression. This network consists of extracellular signals interacting with the receptors of individual cells and determining the fate of each. Since this regulatory system plays a critical role in complex tissue, aberrations or malfunctions often accompany the onset and progression of cancer. This book provides a solid basis for understanding cell cycle and growth control as it relates to biological regulation, with a special emphasis on examining these processes in the context of cancer.
The authors explain in detail the various mechanisms by which cancer cells can circumvent anticancer therapy. They also review the clinical impact of such novel inhibitors of DNA repair mechanisms as methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase. Also examined are inhibitors of other DNA repair enzymes such as PARP and DNA-PK, now under development and close to clinical trials. The book captures for both cancer researchers and practicing oncologists dealing with hallmark "relapse" or "drug resistance" phenomena on a daily basis-the many exciting new uses of DNA repair inhibitors, either alone or in combination with anticancer therapies
Cancer research is becoming multidisciplinary. Complex structural and therapeutic problems require synergistic approaches employing an assortment of biochemical manipulations, chromatographic or electrophoretic separations, sequencing strategies, and much more mass spectrometry. This book provides a broad examination of current strategies and techniques and their application to the study of occupational and environmental carcinogens; antineoplastic and chemopreventive agents; pertinent proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and glycoconjugates. Included is a chapter on instrumentation and methodologies.
This book presents current advances in the application of microarray technology to the most active areas of cancer research, elaborating on the importance of this technology for understanding the causes of cancer and future treatment possibilities. It presents the first step on the path toward key discoveries that will lead to a better understanding of the causes of cancer, new biomarkers and drug targets. Topics addressed include: spotted array production, synthesized arrays with cancer applications, tissue collection for microarrays, microarray analysis of solid tumors, and bioinformatics in micorarray expression analysis technology
This second edition is now in a larger format that has been extensively revised and covers heredity cancer, microarray technology and increased study of childhood cancers. It continues to provide a detailed overview of the process which lead to the development and proliferation of cancer cells, including the techniques available for their study. It also describes the means by which tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes may be used in the diagnosis and in determining the prognosis of a wide variety of cancers, including breast, genitourinary, lung and gastrointestinal cancer.
Proteases and Their Inhibitors in Cancer Metastasis
In recent years, serine proteases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have gained considerable attention in tumor biology. For most of these proteases, their expression is a reliable indication of ongoing tissue remodeling. This book provides a comprehensive evaluation of the mechanisms of action of proteases and their inhibitors in tumor biology. The first part provides the reader with a selective overview of the molecular biology of serine proteases, MMPs and their physiological inhibitors. The most important proteases and their physiological as well as synthetic inhibitors are evaluated in the most relevant models of experimental and human cancer. The clinical aspects are also addressed.
Image 
