Despite the significant advances in cancer therapy made through constant evaluation and analysis of treatment aftereffects, the disease still remains one of the foremost causes of mortality worldwide killing more than 12 million people annually. The prime reason behind the failure of conventional chemotherapeutics which are used as the chief regimen in the comprehensive treatment of cancers is the development of chemoresistance. It can be either intrinsic or acquired and is primarily mediated via different key regulators like MDR, MAPK, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, Wnt signaling pathways etc. Thus, agents which can target these regulatory elements or pathways and in turn sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy holds immense prospect. However, there is barely such comprehensive work available in scientific literature that explains how chemosensitization of cancer cells functions using different drug combinations and exhibit synergism. This book provides a detailed description of chemoresistance and chemosensitization, targets for chemosensitization and various approaches adapted in the process of chemosensitization. Furthermore, the book explicates the role of various chemosensitizers, both natural and synthetic in sensitizing cancer cells and also details the current research findings on chemosensitization of different cancer types in both pre-clinical and clinical settings.

"Despite the significant advances in cancer therapy made through constant evaluation and analysis of treatment aftereffects, the disease still remains one of the foremost causes of mortality worldwide killing more than 12 million people annually. The prime reason behind the failure of conventional chemotherapeutics which are used as the chief regimen in the comprehensive treatment of cancers is the development of chemoresistance. It can be either intrinsic or acquired and is primarily mediated via different key regulators like MDR, MAPK, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, Wnt signaling pathways etc. Thus, agents which can target these regulatory elements or pathways and in turn sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy holds immense prospect. However, there is barely such comprehensive work available in scientific literature that explains how chemosensitization of cancer cells functions using different drug combinations and exhibit synergism. This book provides a detailed description of chemoresistance and chemosensitization, targets for chemosensitization and various approaches adapted in the process of chemosensitization. Furthermore, the book explicates the role of various chemosensitizers, both natural and synthetic in sensitizing cancer cells and also details the current research findings on chemosensitization of different cancer types in both pre-clinical and clinical settings."--Publisher's website

Role of Nutraceuticals in Chemoresistance to Cancer, Volume Two, focuses on nutraceuticals, the compounds derived from natural sources, which are usually multi-targeted as a means to overcome chemoresistance. This book discusses the role of several compounds related to nutraceuticals and chemoresistance, such as curcumin, resveratrol, indole 3-carbinol, tocotrienols, ursolic acid, fisetin, celastrol, gambogic, butein, catechins and silymarin. It is a valuable resource for cancer researchers, oncologists and members of several areas of the biomedical field who are interested in understanding how to use nutraceuticals as a sensitizing agent for chemotherapy. - Brings updated information on natural compounds used as specific inhibitors of cell signaling pathways as reviewed by experts in the field - Presents experts analysis and summary of reported and novel findings and potential translational application in cancer patients - Describes molecular mechanisms with new and helpful approaches for the readers to use in their own investigations

Targeting Cell Survival Pathways to Enhance Response to Chemotherapy encompasses recently developed molecular targeting agents and approaches that suppress cell survival signaling. Cell survival signaling attenuates the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy and numerous mechanisms have been described, and continue to be described, which contribute to cell survival in the face of chemotherapy treatment. Key pathways leading to chemoresistance emanate from growth factor receptors, PI3K, STAT3, anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, autophagy, and the DNA damage response pathway. New advances have underscored the potential of targeting each of these cell survival mechanisms to improve responsiveness to chemotherapy. This book reviews these recent advances and provides a foundational background and hints of new opportunities for basic, translational, and clinical investigators focused on improving therapeutic responses to chemotherapy. - Presents cutting-edge agents and approaches with proved success in different model systems that can be translated to a different type of cancer - Brings updated information to be used to propose new clinical trials investigating innovative strategies for improving responses to chemotherapy - Provides mechanistic details to help guide the design of laboratory studies associated with clinical trials

Chemotherapy is one of the major treatment options for cancer patients; however, the efficacy of chemotherapeutic management of cancer is severely limited by multidrug resistance, in that cancer cells become simultaneously resistant to many structurally and mechanistically unrelated drugs. In the past three decades, a number of mechanisms by which cancer cells acquire multidrug resistance have been discovered. In addition, the development of agents or strategies to overcome resistance has been the subject of intense study. This book contains comprehensive and up-to-date reviews of multidrug resistance mechanisms, from over-expression of ATP-binding cassette drug transporters such as P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated proteins, and breast cancer resistance p- tein to the drug ratio-dependent antagonism and the paradigm of cancer stem cells. The book also includes strategies to overcome multidrug resistance, from the development of compounds that inhibit drug transporter function to the modulation of transporter expression. In addition, this book contains techniques for the detection and imaging of drug transporters, methods for the investigation of drug resistance in animal models, and strategies to evaluate the efficacy of resistance reversal agents. The book intends to provide a state-of-the-art collection of reviews and methods for both basic and clinician investigators who are interested in cancer multidrug resistance mechanisms and reversal strategies. Tianjin, China Jun Zhou v Contents Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Contributors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix 1 Multidrug Resistance in Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Bruce C. Baguley 2 Multidrug Resistance in Oncology and Beyond: From Imaging of Drug Efflux Pumps to Cellular Drug Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Polyphenols in Prevention and Treatment of Human Disease, Second Edition authoritatively covers evidence of the powerful health benefits of polyphenols, touching on cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis. This collection represents the contributions of an international group of experts in polyphenol research who share their expertise in endocrinology, public health, cardiology, pharmacology, agriculture and veterinary science. Researchers from diverse backgrounds will gain insight into how clinical observations and practices can feed back into the research cycle, thus allowing them to develop more targeted insights into the mechanisms of disease. This reference fills a void in research where nutritionists and alternative therapies may be applicable. - Describes polyphenol modulation of blood flow and oxygenation as a potential mechanism of protection against vascular atherosclerosis - Describes how polyphenols and antioxidants frequently change immune defenses and actions - Focuses on the most important areas of research and provides insights into their relationships and translational opportunities

The present book is an attempt to provide a detailed review of studies that clarify our current understanding of the role of hypoxia in the progression of primary cancer to metastatic disease. It will enable researchers to discover the critical cellular changes that occur under hypoxic conditions and play a role in metastatic dissemination, from the activation of hypoxia-inducible factors, HIF-1 and HIF-2, to the transcriptional profile changes that occur in cancer cells and promote cancer cell survival under detrimental conditions. Readers will discover the methods and challenges involved in imaging and quantifying the degree of hypoxia in a primary tumor. We will provide an understanding of the hypoxia-induced phenotypes that influence heterogeneity, alter the secretome and tumor microenvironment, modify cellular metabolism, and promote immune suppression and resistance to chemotherapy. Finally, we will uncover the therapeutic strategies that are being devised to target the hypoxic microenvironment in the hopes of preventing metastasis and improving the efficacy of standard-of-care cancer treatments. This work is an up to date source of information on the challenges and complexity of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Basic and translational scientists, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and those interested in how tumors metastasize will find this book a reference that details how hypoxia influences metastatic disease.