The past few years have witnessed an astonishing international effort that established the role of some 20 new molecules in apoptosis and added activation or suppression of apoptosis to the accepted biological functions of a great many others already familiar in cancer biology. Some of these molecules are receptors, transducing cytokine-mediated signals; others appear to intensify or diminish the risk that a compro mised cell will fire its apoptosis effector mechanism. All are of interest as potential targets for tumor therapy, and some may prove to be control points influenced in the pathogenesis of cancer and other diseases as diverse as viral infection, neurodegenerative disorders, and stroke. Sometimes, in the midst of these developments, a kind of euphoria ap pears to have gripped the research community, with the expectation that apoptosis will afford explanations to many unsolved questions in cellu lar regulation. This book, in a series of thoughtful and provocative ar ticles--some from established leaders in the field, and others from younger scientists--seeks to redress the balance.

In apoptosis in the mammalian system, cells have a finite life - they develop, are used and then die. Cancer cells escape this programmed routine but, from an understanding of apoptosis, they can be programmed to die. This book addresses the

This book is devoted to innovative medicine, comprising the proceedings of the Uehara Memorial Foundation Symposium 2014. It remains extremely rare for the findings of basic research to be developed into clinical applications, and it takes a long time for the process to be achieved. The task of advancing the development of basic research into clinical reality lies with translational science, yet the field seems to struggle to find a way to move forward. To create innovative medical technology, many steps need to be taken: development and analysis of optimal animal models of human diseases, elucidation of genomic and epidemiological data, and establishment of “proof of concept”. There is also considerable demand for progress in drug research, new surgical procedures, and new clinical devices and equipment. While the original research target may be rare diseases, it is also important to apply those findings more broadly to common diseases. The book covers a wide range of topics and is organized into three complementary parts. The first part is basic research for innovative medicine, the second is translational research for innovative medicine, and the third is new technology for innovative medicine. This book helps to understand innovative medicine and to make progress in its realization.

Handbook of Brain Tumor Chemotherapy, Molecular Therapeutics, and Immunotherapy, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular methodologies in the neuro-oncology field. There have been profound changes in the landscape of approaches to brain tumor therapy since the first edition—mainly in the areas of molecular biology and molecular therapeutics, as well as in the maturation of immunotherapy approaches (e.g., vaccines). This updated edition has a new, primary focus on multidisciplinary molecular methods, and is broadened to include the latest cutting-edge molecular biology, therapeutics, immunobiology and immunotherapy approaches. As the first comprehensive book to address the molecular research into these concepts, users will find it to be an invaluable resource on the topics discussed. - Provides the most up-to-date information regarding conventional forms of cytotoxic chemotherapy, as well as the basic science and clinical application of molecular therapeutics for the treatment of brain tumors - Broadly appeals to anyone interested in neuro-oncology and the treatment of brain tumors - Features updated chapters on molecular biology, molecular therapeutics, maturation of immunotherapy approaches, and a focus on multidisciplinary molecular methods - Includes a new section on the basic science of immunology, as well as thorough updates on the use of vaccine technology and immunotherapy for the treatment of brain tumors

A fundamental and groundbreaking reassessment of how we view and manage cancer When we think of the forces driving cancer, we don’t necessarily think of evolution. But evolution and cancer are closely linked because the historical processes that created life also created cancer. The Cheating Cell delves into this extraordinary relationship, and shows that by understanding cancer’s evolutionary origins, researchers can come up with more effective, revolutionary treatments. Athena Aktipis goes back billions of years to explore when unicellular forms became multicellular organisms. Within these bodies of cooperating cells, cheating ones arose, overusing resources and replicating out of control, giving rise to cancer. Aktipis illustrates how evolution has paved the way for cancer’s ubiquity, and why it will exist as long as multicellular life does. Even so, she argues, this doesn’t mean we should give up on treating cancer—in fact, evolutionary approaches offer new and promising options for the disease’s prevention and treatments that aim at long-term management rather than simple eradication. Looking across species—from sponges and cacti to dogs and elephants—we are discovering new mechanisms of tumor suppression and the many ways that multicellular life-forms have evolved to keep cancer under control. By accepting that cancer is a part of our biological past, present, and future—and that we cannot win a war against evolution—treatments can become smarter, more strategic, and more humane. Unifying the latest research from biology, ecology, medicine, and social science, The Cheating Cell challenges us to rethink cancer’s fundamental nature and our relationship to it.

With the explosion of information on autophagy in cancer, this is an opportune time to speed the efforts to translate our current knowledge about autophagy regulation into better understanding of its role in cancer. This book will cover the latest advances in this area from the basics, such as the molecular machinery for autophagy induction and regulation, up to the current areas of interest such as modulation of autophagy and drug discovery for cancer prevention and treatment. The text will include an explanation on how autophagy can function in both oncogenesis and tumor suppression and a description of its function in tumor development and tumor suppression through its roles in cell survival, cell death, cell growth as well as its influences on inflammation, immunity, DNA damage, oxidative stress, tumor microenvironment, etc. The remaining chapters will cover topics on autophagy and cancer therapy. These pages will serve as a description on how the pro-survival function of autophagy may help cancer cells resist chemotherapy and radiation treatment as well as how the pro-death functions of autophagy may enhance cell death in response to cancer therapy, and how to target autophagy for cancer prevention and therapy − what to target and how to target it. ​