Apoptosis is a highly regulated mechanism by which cells undergo cell death in an active way. As one of the most challenging tasks concerning cancer is to induce apoptosis in malignant cells, researchers increasingly focus on natural products to modulate apoptotic signaling pathways. This book reviews the main effects of natural compounds on the different apoptotic signaling pathways, including the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, the NF-kB-mediated pathway, the PI3K/Akt signaling, and other main pathways. Among the topic specially covered are: Effects of natural compounds on cancer cells Natural compounds as inducers of cell death Diet in health and disease Inflammation and cancer Natural compounds as kinase inhibitors Natural compounds in neurodegenerative diseases Natural compounds as inhibitors of ROS NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com/nyas ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.
Traditionally, dietary fat has been associated with negative effects on human health by consumers due to its high energy density. However, today it is well known that the quality of the fat ingested is more important than its quantity, and that there are natural lipophilic compounds that are essential for the correct maintenance of human physiological functions. For this reason, the negative image associated with dietary fat consumption is not fully justified. Dietary fat is a hot research area that has attracted increasing attention in the last decades. An adequate intake of dietary fats adapted to our age and physical activity, as well as an increase in the intake of beneficial fatty compounds and controlling the intake of those types of fats that have negative effects on our health, can be powerful allies in preventing the development of chronic non-communicable diseases. Through this book, the Editors have compiled the most up to date and well-documented information on many aspects of the development and application of novel dietary patterns related to fatty compounds, with special emphasis on beneficial effects. They have considered fatty nutritional requirements at different stages of life, the international guidelines and the application of new -omics techniques, such as epigenetics, nutrigenomics, metabolomics and metagenomics, related to human health. This book will be of interest to researchers in food technology and biomedicine, as well as the food industry and food distribution areas.
This book reviews the current state of epigenetics and proteomics of leukemia and introduces the methods that are important to process and evaluate these factors in leukemia. In particular, epigenetic modifiers and their inhibitors in leukemia treatment as well as approaches to the epigenetic treatment of leukemia are covered. Various computational methods for proteome analysis are also described in detail, including 2DE fractionation and visualization, proteomic data processing, image acquisition and data anlaysis, and more. Protein localization in leukemia is also covered, in addition to the future of leukemia therapy. Epigenetics and Proteomics of Leukemia is an ideal book for advanced biomedical scientists and students, medical doctors and students, bioinformatics and health informatics researchers, computational biologists, structural biologists, systems biologists, and bioengineers.
Many books have now been published in the broad field of environmental toxicology. However, to date, none of have presented the often fascinating stories of the wildlife science, and the steps along the way from discovery of problems caused by environmental pollutants to the regulatory and non-regulatory efforts to address the problems. This book provides case by case examinations of how toxic chemical effects on wildlife have brought about policy and regulatory decisions, and positive changes in environmental conditions. Wild animal stories, whether they are about the disappearance of charismatic top predators, or of grossly deformed embryos or frogs, provide powerful symbols that can and have captured the public's imagination and have resulted in increased awareness by decision makers. It is the intent of this book to present factual and balanced overviews and summaries of the science and the subsequent regulatory processes that followed to effect change (or not). We cover a variety of chemicals and topics beginning with an update of the classic California coastal DDT story of eggshell thinning and avian reproduction to more recent cases, such as the veterinarian pharmaceutical that has brought three species of Asian vultures to the brink of extinction. Researchers, regulators, educators, NGOs and the general public will find valuable insights into the processes and mechanisms involved both in environmental scientific investigation and in efforts to effect positive change.
Cancer still remains a most important killer and even though synthetic chemotherapeutic agents are currently used, they are cost-intensive and do not always meet the expectations. In parallel, there is increasing evidence for the potential of nature-derived compounds on the inhibition of different steps of cancer initiation, promotion and progression. We believe that all diseases can be found in Nature but that Nature also provides the efficient cures as said the Prophet of Allah: “Allah did not create any illness without also creating the remedy”. The content of this book gives a multi-disciplinary approach into the anti-cancer research field related to natural products and dietary compounds. Mainly, it covers the area of antitumor activity through an in-depth description of the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties in cancer, inflammatory and cardio-vascular diseases. The cell death inducing mechanisms (apoptosis, anti-proliferative activity, angiogenesis, cell cycle control, cytostatic property and autophagy) give an overview of how natural products are able to target cancer cells. We believe that all diseases can be found in Nature but that Nature also provides the efficient cures as said the Prophet of Allah: “Allah did not create any illness without also creating the remedy”. The content of this book gives a multi-disciplinary approach into the anti-cancer research field related to natural products and dietary compounds. Mainly, it covers the area of antitumor activity through an in-depth description of the cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties in cancer, inflammatory and cardio-vascular diseases. The cell death inducing mechanisms (apoptosis, anti-proliferative activity, angiogenesis, cell cycle control, cytostatic property and autophagy) give an overview of how natural products are able to target cancer cells.
Hyperuricemia is often associated with life-style related disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, which, in turn, are major causes of CKD. Improved management of hyperuricemia is thus expected to be beneficial for both the general population and CKD patients. This book presents new information on uric acid in tubular transport, early recognition of renal lesions, genetic predisposition, preeclampsia, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure in the young, and the relationship with vitamin D. Moreover, the relationship between AKI and uric acid, as well as the rejection of renal transplants due to hyperuricemia, are discussed. This publication will be of interest to both general practitioners and researchers working in the field of CKD. It provides new insights into renal damage caused by hyperuricemia and into prevention and treatment possibilities.
This Research Topic is part of a series with: Multi-targeted Natural Products as Cancer Therapeutics: Challenges and Opportunities, Volume II Cancer remains a leading cause of disease-related deaths worldwide, despite recent advances in our understanding of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been used as standard non-surgical treatments of human cancer for decades, however, the survival rates of patients with cancer, especially those with advanced diseases are still very low due to the high toxicities of these treatments as well as the severe side effects. This fact has motivated researchers to discover new cancer therapeutics with minimum side effects, which intensively promotes the rapid development of single specific molecule-targeted therapies (SSMTT). Many efforts have been made in world-wide cancer drug discovery research and several single molecule-targeted therapies have been successfully developed. Unfortunately, most of the investments failed because cancer is a genetic disease and always harbors multiple alternations of molecules or genes at the genomic, genetic and epigenetic levels. The inhibition of a single molecule or signaling pathway by SSMTT frequently results in a hyperactive compensation of other cancer-related molecules and signaling pathways as well as the subsequent development of drug resistance. Therefore, identifying multi-targeted therapies, i.e. drugs that are able to target multiple cancer-related genes, proteins, or signaling pathways is a more promising way to success in developing new cancer therapeutics. Natural products, especially those from traditional Chinese medicine and folk remedies in other countries are an extraordinarily important source for new drug discovery over the past decades. Of note, many natural products have often been demonstrated to target several crucial genes or proteins in cancer-related signaling networks and exert synergistic effects. For example, Japonicone A, a dimeric sesquiterpenoid from the medicinal plant Inula japonica, has been found to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis by dually targeting the TNF-α/NF-κB and p53/MDM2 signaling pathways. Traditionally, researchers have believed that the multi-targeting mechanisms of natural products have limited their use in cancer treatment due to the low specificity and potential side effects. The growing interest in developing multi-targeted cancer therapies may provide another golden opportunity to develop natural products as new cancer therapeutics. Nevertheless, critical investigations for a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of natural products also mean more challenges. Our long-term goals are to fully understand the molecular targets and mechanisms of action of anticancer natural products and develop them as novel cancer preventive and therapeutic agents. The specific goal of this Research Topic is to bring together the recent findings of newly identified anticancer natural products, especially those with multiple molecular targets. Papers (Original Research articles or Reviews) which discuss the in vitro and in vivo efficacy and pharmacological and toxicological properties of natural products are also welcome to be submitted. Guidelines for the conception and review of submissions As many anticancer drugs working as cytotoxic compounds have non-selective effects annihilating their potential therapeutic benefits, manuscripts are advised to provide evidence of a significant selectivity towards cancer cells (vs. healthy cells). Specifically, if the studied anticancer drug or modality does not target an oncogenic pathway, the authors should make every effort possible to prove that the cytotoxic or cytostatic effects they have identified exhibit selectivity for cancer cells (ideally 1 log difference in EC50 or IC50) vs. non-malignant cells (eg, fibroblasts or primary culture of cells). The authors should also demonstrate the applicability of their anticancer modalities on a minimum of two well-authenticated cancer cell lines (ideally originating from distinct organs/tissues). For manuscripts dealing with plant extracts or other natural substances/compounds, the composition and the stability of the study material must be described in sufficient detail. In particular, for extracts, chromatograms with characterization of the dominating compound(s) are requested. The level of purity must be proven and included. Please refer to the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology, a subset of which concerning general standards in natural product research are applied to all such studies in all sections of Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Compensating for cytotoxicity in the multicellular organism by a certain level of cellular proliferation is the primary aim of homeostasis. In addition, the loss of cellular proliferation control (tumorigenesis) is at least as important as cytotoxicity, however, it is a contrasting trauma. With the disruption of the delicate balance between cytotoxicity and proliferation, confrontation with cancer can inevitably occur. This book presents important information pertaining to the molecular control of the mechanisms of cytotoxicity and cellular proliferation as they relate to cancer. It is designed for students and researchers studying cytotoxicity and its control.
Clearance of apoptotic cells is essential for proper development, homeostasis and termination of immune responses in multicellular organisms. Thus, cellular and molecular players taking part in the sequential events of this process are of great interest. Research in the last 20 years has indicated that specific ligands and receptors take part in the attraction of immune cells toward apoptotic targets and in the interactions between apoptotic cells and professional as well as non-professional phagocytes that engulf them. Moreover, phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) leads to significant phenotypic changes in the engulfing cells suggesting that it is a major fate-determining event for phagocytes. Particularly, efferocytosis has an important impact on the inflammation-resolution axis as well as embryonic development and tissue morphogenesis. Deficiencies in these processes can result in health threats, such as autoimmunity, atherosclerosis, bone loss, obesity, infertility, neurodegeneration, fibrosis and cancer. This eBook brings together 24 original research and review manuscripts that cover various aspects of apoptotic cell removal during normal development and homeostasis as well as in tumorigenesis and regenerative processes following injury.
