Advances in Molecular Toxicology features the latest advances in all of the subspecialties of the broad area of molecular toxicology. Toxicology is the study of poisons, and this series details the study of the molecular basis by which a vast array of agents encountered in the human environment and produced by the human body itself manifest themselves as toxins. Not strictly limited to documenting these examples, the series is also concerned with the complex web of chemical and biological events that give rise to toxin-induced symptoms and disease. The new technologies that are being harnessed to analyze and understand these events will also be reviewed by leading workers in the field. Advances in Molecular Toxicology will report progress in all aspects of these rapidly evolving molecular aspects of toxicology with a view toward detailed elucidation of progress on the molecular level and on advances in technological approaches employed.

The science of toxicology has progressed considerably since Molecular Toxicology was first published in 1997. New advances in biochemical and molecular biological experimental techniques have helped researchers understand the precise effects of toxins and foreign compounds on living things atthe molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Breakthrough research has recently been completed illuminating the human genome and the role of enzymes in toxic biochemical reaction mechanisms. Toxicology now covers drug metabolism and design, carcinogenesis, programmed cell death, and DNA repair,among other subjects. The second edition captures these and other advances, and broadens its scope to address the experimental science of toxicology. The first edition of Molecular Toxicology has become an indispensable resource for graduate students in molecular and biochemical toxicology courses,as well as academic researchers and industrial researchers in toxicology. Rigorously updated and revised, the new edition commands an unrivaled authority in the field of molecular toxicology.

Volume 14 in the series Comprehensive Toxicology extends and complements the previously published 13-volume set. This volume will be available separately. Toxicology is the study of the nature and actions of chemicals on biological systems. In more primitive times, it really was the study of poisons. However, in the early 1500s, it was apparent to Paracelsus that "the dose differentiates a poison and a remedy". Clearly, the two most important tenets of toxicology were established during that time. The level of exposure (dose) and the duration of exposure (time) will determine the degree and nature of a toxicological response. Since that time the discipline of toxicology has made major advances in identifying and characterizing toxicants. The growth of toxicology as a scientific discipline has been driven to a large extent by the use of extremely powerful molecular and cell biology techniques. The overall aim of this volume is to demonstrate how these advances are being used to elucidate causal pathways (or linkages) for potential adverse health consequences of human exposure to environmental chemicals or radiation. A unique feature of this volume is its illustration of how carefully-designed studies of the molecular mechanisms of chemical action provide not only understanding of the potential toxicity of the chemical under investigation, but also new insights into the functioning of the biological system used as an experimental model. Each chapter contains a listing of major peer-reviewed articles and reviews and useful web-sites. In addition, each chapter contains a broad introductory section that outlines the subsequent sections. These Introductory and Overview sections are designed to be stand alone chapters, and may be packaged as a textbook in graduate level courses.

A thorough understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the individual expression of toxic effects provides an important tool for assessment of human health risk. New aspects, major advances, and new areas in molecular and cellular biology and toxicology demand updated sources of information to elucidate the functional mechanics of human toxicology. Mechanistic Toxicology: The Molecular Basis of How Chemicals Disrupt Biological Targets, Second Edition retains the accessible format of the original to present the general principles that link xenobiotic-induced toxicity with the molecular pathways that underlie these toxic effects. Extensively illustrated, this book forms a conceptual bridge between multiple events at the molecular level and the determinants of toxicity at the physiological and cellular level. Specific examples of drugs, environmental pollutants, and other chemicals are carefully chosen to illustrate and highlight the fundamental mechanisms of toxicity at different toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic levels. The book includes references and review articles at the end of each chapter, as well as boxed text for relevant review information on biological, biochemical, molecular, and toxicological background. Linking molecular pathways to more general biomedical contexts, the author ensures that the reader is not lost in the details and instead receives a broad understanding of the processes underlying xenobiotic toxicity. New in the Second Edition Updated chapters Types of toxic responses Disruption of signal transduction by xenobiotics Disruption of mitochondrial function Novel mechanisms derived from systems toxicology

Molecular toxicology is an emerging discipline that utilizes molecular and cell biology to understand how drugs and chemicals result in their unwanted effects. PCR Protocols in Molecular Toxicology is a practical guide to the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to help examine, on a molecular and cellular level, how toxic responses are manifested. It offers a basic understanding of PCR and its optimization, as well as describing specific, high-impact areas of molecular toxicology and recent advances. The following techniques are described in detail: Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and methods to examine gene expression Differential display cloning Cloning and library screening by PCR Genotype and polymorphism analysis of drug and toxicant metabolizing enzymes Basic, non-PCR based molecular biology methods PCR Protocols in Molecular Toxicology will aid both novices and experienced PCR practitioners in using PCR to its fullest potential.

Advances in Molecular Toxicology features the latest advances in all of the subspecialties of the broad area of molecular toxicology. Toxicology is the study of poisons, and this series details the study of the molecular basis by which a vast array of agents encountered in the human environment and produced by the human body itself manifest themselves as toxins. Not strictly limited to documenting these examples, the series is also concerned with the complex web of chemical and biological events that give rise to toxin-induced symptoms and disease. The new technologies that are being harnessed to analyze and understand these events will also be reviewed by leading workers in the field. Advances in Molecular Toxicology will report progress in all aspects of these rapidly evolving molecular aspects of toxicology with a view toward detailed elucidation of both progress on the molecular level and on advances in technological approaches employed. - Cutting-edge reviews by leading workers in the discipline - In-depth dissection of molecular aspects of interest to a broad range of scientists, physicians and any student in the allied disciplines - Leading edge applications of technological innovations in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular medicine

With the recent rapid developments in drug discovery, including advances in both drug design and combinatorial chemistry, toxicology is becoming an increasingly important proactive tool. In addition to new compound testing, toxicity studies can also shed light on normal bodily processes through the understanding of adverse ones. Molecular Toxicology is a concise introduction to the subject, taking the reader through the theoretical principles of toxicology followed by specific examples. In the first section, the concepts behind possible mechanisms of toxicity are described (e. g. the specific enzyme or receptor system) using examples where appropriate. Following this a series of examples are used to show the extension of concept into the real world, in an organ specific manner. The book concludes with a section outlining toxicity assessment methods, where the impact of molecular biology is having a considerable impact, including DNA microarrays, proteomics and bioinformatics.