Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have emerged as a promising anticancer treatment. OVs selectively infect, replicate in, and kill tumor cells. Oncolytic viral therapy occurs in two phases: an initial phase where the virus mediates direct oncolysis of tumor cells, and a second phase where an induced post-oncolytic immune response continues to mediate tumor destruction and retards progression of the disease. For a long time, the therapeutic efficacy was thought to depend mainly on the direct viral oncolysis based on their tumor selective replication and killing activities. But the post-oncolytic anti-tumor activity induced by the OV therapy is also a key factor for an efficient therapeutic activity. The topic adresses various strategies how to optimize OVs anti-tumor activity.

This book overviews the applications of viral nanoparticles (VNPs) in areas ranging from materials science to biomedicine. It summarizes the many different VNP building blocks and describes chemistries that allow one to attach, entrap, or display functionalities on VNPs. The book outlines the strategies for the construction of 1-, 2-, and 3-D arrays, highlights the achievements in utilizing VNPs as tools for novel biosensors and nanoelectronic devices, and describes efforts in designing VNPs for biomedical applications, including their use as gene delivery vectors, novel vaccines, imaging modalities, and applications in targeted therapeutics.

Examining the enormous potential of microbiome manipulation to improve health Associations between the composition of the intestinal microbiome and many human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer, have been elegantly described in the past decade. Now, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, and precision gene-editing techniques are being combined with centuries-old therapies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, to translate current research into new diagnostics and therapeutics to treat complex diseases. Bugs as Drugs provides a much-needed overview of microbes in therapies and will serve as an excellent resource for scientists and clinicians as they carry out research and clinical studies on investigating the roles the microbiota plays in health and disease. In Bugs as Drugs, editors Robert A. Britton and Patrice D. Cani have assembled a fascinating collection of reviews that chart the history, current efforts, and future prospects of using microorganisms to fight disease and improve health. Sections cover traditional uses of probiotics, next-generation microbial therapeutics, controlling infectious diseases, and indirect strategies for manipulating the host microbiome. Topics presented include: How well-established probiotics support and improve host health by improving the composition of the intestinal microbiota of the host and by modulating the host immune response. The use of gene editing and recombinant DNA techniques to create tailored probiotics and to characterize next-generation beneficial microbes. For example, engineering that improves the anti-inflammatory profile of probiotics can reduce the number of colonic polyps formed, and lactobacilli can be transformed into targeted delivery systems carrying therapeutic proteins or bioengineered bacteriophage. The association of specific microbiota composition with colorectal cancer, liver diseases, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The gut microbiota has been proposed to serve as an organ involved in regulation of inflammation, immune function, and energy homeostasis. Fecal microbiota transplantation as a promising treatment for numerous diseases beyond C. difficile infection. Practical considerations for using fecal microbiota transplantation are provided, while it is acknowledged that more high-quality evidence is needed to ascertain the importance of strain specificity in positive treatment outcomes. Because systems biology approaches and synthetic engineering of microbes are now high-throughput and cost-effective, a much wider range of therapeutic possibilities can be explored and vetted. If you are looking for online access to the latest clinical microbiology content, please visit www.wiley.com/learn/clinmicronow.

Continuous cell lines derived from human cancers are the most widely used resource in laboratory-based cancer research. The first 3 volumes of this series on Human Cell Culture are devoted to these cancer cell lines. The chapters in these first 3 volumes have a common aim. Their purpose is to address 3 questions of fundamental importance to the relevance of human cancer cell lines as model systems of each type of cancer: 1. Do the cell lines available accurately represent the clinical presentation? 2. Do the cell lines accurately represent the histopathology of the original tumors? 3. Do the cell lines accurately represent the molecular genetics of this type of cancer? The cancer cell lines available are derived, in most cases, from the more aggressive and advanced cancers. There are few cell lines derived from low grade organ-confined cancers. This gap can be filled with conditionally immortalized human cancer cell lines. We do not know why the success rate for establishing cell lines is so low for some types of cancer and so high for others. The histopathology of the tumor of origin and the extent to which the derived cell line retains the differentiated features of that tumor are critical. The concept that a single cell line derived from a tumor at a particular site is representative of tumors at that site is naïve and misleading.

In this book, leading experts in cancer immunotherapy join forces to provide a comprehensive guide that sets out the main principles of oncoimmunology and examines the latest advances and their implications for clinical practice, focusing in particular on drugs with FDA/EMA approvals and breakthrough status. The aim is to deliver a landmark educational tool that will serve as the definitive reference for MD and PhD students while also meeting the needs of established researchers and healthcare professionals. Immunotherapy-based approaches are now inducing long-lasting clinical responses across multiple histological types of neoplasia, in previously difficult-to-treat metastatic cancers. The future challenges for oncologists are to understand and exploit the cellular and molecular components of complex immune networks, to optimize combinatorial regimens, to avoid immune-related side effects, and to plan immunomonitoring studies for biomarker discovery. The editors hope that this book will guide future and established health professionals toward the effective application of cancer immunology and immunotherapy and contribute significantly to further progress in the field.

Encyclopedia of Virology, Fourth Edition, Five Volume Set builds on the solid foundation laid by the previous editions, expanding its reach with new and timely topics. In five volumes, the work provides comprehensive coverage of the whole virosphere, making this a unique resource. Content explores viruses present in the environment and the pathogenic viruses of humans, animals, plants and microorganisms. Key areas and concepts concerning virus classification, structure, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention are discussed, guiding the reader through chapters that are presented at an accessible level, and include further readings for those needing more specific information. More than ever now, with the Covid19 pandemic, we are seeing the huge impact viruses have on our life and society. This encyclopedia is a must-have resource for scientists and practitioners, and a great source of information for the wider public. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information on virology not easily available elsewhere Fills a critical gap of information in a field that has seen significant progress in recent years Authored and edited by recognized experts in the field, with a range of different expertise, thus ensuring a high-quality standard

This book covers multi-scale biomechanics for oncology, ranging from cells and tissues to whole organ. Topics covered include, but not limited to, biomaterials in mechano-oncology, non-invasive imaging techniques, mechanical models of cell migration, cancer cell mechanics, and platelet-based drug delivery for cancer applications. This is an ideal book for graduate students, biomedical engineers, and researchers in the field of mechanobiology and oncology. This book also: Describes how mechanical properties of cancer cells, the extracellular matrix, tumor microenvironment and immuno-editing, and fluid flow dynamics contribute to tumor progression and the metastatic process Provides the latest research on non-invasive imaging, including traction force microscopy and brillouin confocal microscopy Includes insight into NCIs’ role in supporting biomechanics in oncology research Details how biomaterials in mechano-oncology can be used as a means to tune materials to study cancer