In the past decade there has been a major sea change in the way disease is diagnosed and investigated due to the advent of high throughput technologies, such as microarrays, lab on a chip, proteomics, genomics, lipomics, metabolomics etc. These advances have enabled the discovery of new and novel markers of disease relating to autoimmune disorders, cancers, endocrine diseases, genetic disorders, sensory damage, intestinal diseases etc. In many instances these developments have gone hand in hand with the discovery of biomarkers elucidated via traditional or conventional methods, such as histopathology or clinical biochemistry. Together with microprocessor-based data analysis, advanced statistics and bioinformatics these markers have been used to identify individuals with active disease or pathology as well as those who are refractory or have distinguishing pathologies. New analytical methods that have been used to identify markers of disease and is suggested that there may be as many as 40 different platforms. Unfortunately techniques and methods have not been readily transferable to other disease states and sometimes diagnosis still relies on single analytes rather than a cohort of markers. There is thus a demand for a comprehensive and focused evidenced-based text and scientific literature that addresses these issues. Hence the formulation of Biomarkers in Disease. The series covers a wide number of areas including for example, nutrition, cancer, endocrinology, cardiology, addictions, immunology, birth defects, genetics and so on. The chapters are written by national or international experts and specialists.

The first protocols book, Free Radical and Antioxidant Protocols (1) was published in late 1998. Sections were divided into three parts, covering selected biochemical techniques for measuring oxidative stress, antioxidant (AOX) activity, and combined applications. In choosing the 40 methods to be included in that book, I realized there were considerably more of equal value than that which we could have presented in a single volume. To produce a comprehensive resource, this book and a third are being compiled to expand coverage of the field. A summary of papers (2) published on this important subject emphasizes the continuing rapid growth in oxidative stress investigations relating to our understanding of biochemical reactions, their relevance to pathophysiological mechanisms, how disease may arise, and how therapeutic intervention may be achieved(3). Although there is some overlap between the categories, the ana- sis shown below illustrates where current studies are concentrated and are almost evenly distributed between free radicals and AOX. Over the last 4 yr, there has been a 55% increase in the number of papers published in the area.

This book describes the methods of analysis and determination of oxidants and oxidative stress in biological systems. Reviews and protocols on select methods of analysis of ROS, RNS, oxygen, redox status, and oxidative stress in biological systems are described in detail. It is an essential resource for both novices and experts in the field of oxidant and oxidative stress biology.

The strongest point of this book titled “Biochemistry of Oxidative Stress: Physiopathology and Clinical Aspects”, is that the academic and scientific background of the authors/editors guarantee the authorship of a book comprising all aspects of oxidative stress, ranging from very molecular aspects, to clinical application, including the antioxidant therapy. Of particular importance is the fact that the aforementioned aspects are described in the book in a general section and in three different and important pathologies, such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The importance of these pathologies lays in the fact that, taken separately or together, they represent by far the leading cause of death in the world. Finally, all the chapters have been written by highly recognized authorities in the field of their investigations. At least to our knowledge, this is the first book with this characteristics in the field of oxidative stress.

Biomarkers for Antioxidant Defense and Oxidative Damage: Principles and Practical Applications critically evaluates the basic concepts and methodologies of conventional biomarkers as well as current state-of-the-art assays for measuring antioxidant activity/oxidative stress and their practical applications. . Biomarkers for Antioxidant Defense and Oxidative Damage: Principles and Practical Applications will be of a great interest to scientists who are involved in basic research on oxidation, applied scientists evaluating the effects of nutraceuticals or pharmaceutical compounds on antioxidant activity/oxidative stress, and physicians who want to understand the degree of oxidative damage in patients with certain chronic diseases. Discovering sensitive and specific biomarkers for systemic oxidative damage is essential to understand the role of oxidative stress in human disease. Once these roles are clearly understood, we are able to identify novel drug and nutraceutical targets. This volume goes beyond conventional analytical methods of measuring overall antioxidant activity and provides insight to the discovery of biomarkers that reveal information on specific areas of oxidative stress. Contributed by an international list of experts, Biomarkers for Antioxidant Defense and Oxidative Damage: Principles and Practical Applications describes both conventional biomarkers and recent developments in this area. Special Features: Discusses conventional biomarkers as well as recent advances for measuring antioxidants and oxidative stress Biomarkers for lipid peroxidation: isoprostane, hydroxyloctadecaenoic acid, oxysterols, and reactive carbonyl species from lipid peroxidation Biomarkers for protein oxidation: carbonylation, tyrosine oxidation, ubiquitin-conjugation Biomarkers for DNA oxidative damage: comet assay, hydroxylated nucleotides, and exocylcic DNA adducts Recently developed biomarkers from cutting-edge technology

This book pinpoints one of the fastest growing, complex subjects in chemistry and medical science: the dangers of oxidative stress to human beings. It provides a solid background on the chemistry behind the generation of reactive species as well as how reactive species are involved in essential physiological processes and in almost every human disease. It also covers the most recent developments in the study of oxidative and reductive stress (redox stress), including the role of radical and reactive species, novel antioxidant therapies, and methods for assessing free radicals and redox stress. The chapters present concise, yet thorough, summaries of the state-of-the-art methods and techniques that any investigator working in the oxidative/reductive stress field needs to access. The current methodologies including the development of sensors and biosensors for the detection of ROS/RNS/RHS and of biomarkers of redox stress are thoroughly discussed. This book is a useful resource for all researchers and students interested in oxidative stress, molecular biology, and chemistry. Physicians and healthcare professionals interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the redox stress-related diseases also stand to benefit from this book.