JAK tyrosine kinases and STAT transcription factors constitute a signaling pathway, which is activated by cytokines. By activating gene transcription it regulates essential biological responses to environmental cues. The Jak-Stat pathway is involved in the regulation of cell development, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Improper function may contribute to hematopoietic malignancies and cancer. This book provides comprehensive insights into the latest basic and clinical developments in the field. The first part reviews recent findings and new technologies pertaining to basics of Jak-Stat function. The second part describes the evolution of Jak-Stat signaling and the role of the pathway in invertebrate organisms. The third part focuses on Jak-Stat signaling in hematopoietic cells under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Finally, chapters in the fourth section describe the relationship of Jak-Stat signaling to various states of disease, particularly infection, leukemias and solid cancers. The book is intended for all scientists in molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology dealing with biomedical issues.

This timely and most comprehensive reference available on the topic covers all the different aspects vital in the fight against the global obesity epidemic. Following a look at adipose tissue development and morphology, the authors go on to examine its metabolic and endocrine functions and its role in disease. The final section deals with comparative and evolutionary aspects of the tissue. The result is an essential resource for cell and molecular biologists, physiologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, and those working in the pharmaceutical industry.

Resistance to therapies, both targeted and systemic, and metastases to distant organs are the underlying causes of breast cancer-associated mortality. The second edition of Breast Cancer Metastasis and Drug Resistance brings together some of the leading experts to comprehensively understand breast cancer: the factors that make it lethal, and current research and clinical progress. This volume covers the following core topics: basic understanding of breast cancer (statistics, epidemiology, racial disparity and heterogeneity), metastasis and drug resistance (bone metastasis, trastuzumab resistance, tamoxifen resistance and novel therapeutic targets, including non-coding RNAs, inflammatory cytokines, cancer stem cells, ubiquitin ligases, tumor microenvironment and signaling pathways such as TRAIL, JAK-STAT and mTOR) and recent developments in the field (epigenetic regulation, microRNAs-mediated regulation, novel therapies and the clinically relevant 3D models). Experts also discuss the advances in laboratory research along with their translational and clinical implications with an overarching goal to improve the diagnosis and prognosis, particularly that of breast cancer patients with advanced disease.

This book is the first one written about the JAK/STAT pathway. The JAK (Janus Kinase) Protein tyrosine kinases are novel phosphotransferases absolutely required for cellular signalling downstream of non-catalytic cytokine receptors (amongst others). These molecules are components in pathways utilising the STAT (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) transcription factors. The basic components of the JAK/STAT pathway are covered in detail, and the centre piece of the book is a guided tour of the pathway itself. An interesting addition to the book is the chapter on the use of Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic system to probe the pathway at the whole organism level. The book is targeted to researchers who have an interest in intracellular signalling.

"This textbook provides a comprehensive view of signal transduction, covering both the fundamental mechanisms involved and their roles in key biological processes. It first lays out the basic principles of signal transduction, explaining how different receptors receive information and transmit it via signaling proteins, ions, and second messengers. It then surveys the major signaling pathways that operate in cells, before examining in detail how these function in processes such as cell growth and division, cell movement, metabolism, development, reproduction, the nervous system, and immune function"--

The receptor-associated JAK protein kinases and their substrates, the STAT transcriptional activators, transmit signals following cytokine and growth factor binding to receptors expressed on the cell surface, to result in specific transcriptional and cellular responses. Over the last two decades, the field has progressed from identification of the individual components through to an understanding of the activation and deactivation mechanisms, and the complex structural detail of the proteins involved. We now know that these pathways are important in many biological processes, including growth and development, hematopoiesis, and the innate and adaptive immune response. JAK-STAT Signalling: Methods and Protocols provides detailed methodologies for examining many aspects of the pathway. Divided into four sections, topics include JAK and STAT specific approaches, the negative regulators of the pathway (SOCS proteins), and the production and crystallization of JAK and STAT proteins, among others. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, JAK-STAT Signalling: Methods and Protocols will be of use not only to those working in the area but also to new investigators who are led to delve into the complexities of JAK and STAT responses.