This volume provides the reader with an overview of the diverse functions of the RUNX family of genes. As highlighted in the introduction and several of the 29 chapters, humans and other mammals have three RUNX genes that are known to play specific roles in blood, bone and neuronal development. However, their evolutionary history has recently been traced back to unicellular organisms and their involvement in many well-known signaling pathways (Wnt, TGFb, Notch, Hippo) is indicative of a more general function in cell biology. Their documented roles in cell fate decisions include control of proliferation, differentiation, survival, senescence and autophagy. The pleiotropic effects of RUNX in development are mirrored in cancer, where RUNX genes can function as oncogenes that collaborate strongly with Myc family oncogenes or as tumour suppressor genes. In the latter role, they display hallmarks of both ‘gatekeepers’ that modulate p53 responses and ‘caretakers’ that protect the genome from DNA damage. Several chapters focus on the importance of these genes in leukemia research, where RUNX1 and CBFB are frequently affected by chromosomal translocations that generate fusion oncoproteins, while recent studies suggest wider roles for RUNX modulation in solid cancers. Moreover, RUNX genes are intimately involved in the development and regulation of the immune system, while emerging evidence suggests a role in innate immunity to infectious agents, including HIV. At the biochemical level, the RUNX family can serve as activators or repressors of transcription and as stable mediators of epigenetic memory through mitosis. Not surprisingly, RUNX activity is controlled at multiple levels, this includes miRNAs and a plethora of post-translational modifications. Several chapters highlight the interplay between the three mammalian RUNX genes, where cross-talk and partial functional redundancies are evident. Finally, structural analysis of the RUNX/CBFB interaction has led to the development of small molecule inhibitors that provide exciting new tools to decipher the roles of RUNX in development and as targets for therapy. This volume provides a compendium and reference source that will be of broad interest to cancer researchers, developmental biologists and immunologists.

This volume has a strong focus on homo-oligomerization, which is surprisingly common. However, protein function is so often linked to both homo- and hetero-oligomerization and many heterologous interactions likely evolved from homologous interaction, so this volume also covers many aspects of hetero-oligomerization.

The past five years have witnessed an explosion of research efforts in the study of how cells die. This book provides an up-to-date overview of our current knowledge of apoptosis and how discoveries in this area impact on our understanding of cancer. By synthesizing many of the recent developments in this area and placing them in perspective, it fulfills an important need. All the contributions are written by experts in their respective fields. The first two chapters give a basic introduction to the cell death machinery and its role in tumor development and progression; subsequent chapters cover current aspects of apoptosis research, including the involvement of cell cycle-related proteins (e.g. cyclin-dependent kinases) in apoptosis, the role of Bcl-2, Bcr-Abl, Rb, p53 and myc in the regulation of cell death, and apoptosis in the context of specific neoplasms such as cancer of the prostate, kidney, leukemia and neuroblastoma. It is also discussed how insights into the regulation of apoptosis may be exploited for designing new drugs aimed at eliminating malignant cells. Compiling the most recent research results on the relationship between apoptosis and cancer in one handy volume, this book will provide a valuable reference for scientists working in cancer research as well as newcomers to the field.

DNA Methylation and Complex Human Disease reviews the possibilities of methyl-group-based epigenetic biomarkers of major diseases, tailored epigenetic therapies, and the future uses of high-throughput methylome technologies. This volume includes many pertinent advances in disease-bearing research, including obesity, type II diabetes, schizophrenia, and autoimmunity. DNA methylation is also discussed as a plasma and serum test for non-invasive screening, diagnostic and prognostic tests, as compared to biopsy-driven gene expression analysis, factors which have led to the use of DNA methylation as a potential tool for determining cancer risk, and diagnosis between benign and malignant disease. Therapies are at the heart of this volume and the possibilities of DNA demethylation. In cancer, unlike genetic mutations, DNA methylation and histone modifications are reversible and thus have shown great potential in the race for effective treatments. In addition, the authors present the importance of high-throughput methylome analysis, not only in cancer, but also in non-neoplastic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Discusses breaking biomarker research in major disease families of current health concern and research interest, including obesity, type II diabetes, schizophrenia, and autoimmunity Summarizes advances not only relevant to cancer, but also in non-neoplastic disease, currently an emerging field Describes wholly new concepts, including the linking of metabolic pathways with epigenetics Provides translational researchers with the knowledge of both basic research and clinic applications of DNA methylation in human diseases

Cancer was thought to originate from alterations in intercellular signaling that resulted in the transformation of cells, their uncontrolled proliferation and metastasis. There is now an increasing body of evidence demonstrating that the surrounding matrix and cell-matrix interactions are also major players in this process. Cells adhere and receive signals from various extracellular matrices via transmembrane receptors, the best known of which are the heterodimeric glycoproteins, integrins.