This book examines the signal mechanisms responsible for triggering a series of phenotypical changes of primary tumor which may lead to final colonization of the tumor in a second home. It highlights the initial stage of tumor metastasis.
One of the most exciting areas of cancer research now is the development of agents which can target signal transduction pathways that are activated inappropriately in malignant cells. The understanding of the molecular abnormalities which distinguish malignant cells from their normal counterparts has grown tremendously. This volume summarizes the current research on the role that signal transduction pathways play in the pathogenesis of cancer and how this knowledge may be used to develop the next generation of more effective and less toxic anticancer agents. Series Editor comments: "The biologic behavior of both normal and cancer cells is determined by critical signal transduction pathways. This text provides a comprehensive review of the field. Leading investigators discuss key molecules that may prove to be important diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets."
The cannabinoid system plays a central role in a wide variety of physiological functions that touch upon cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, and nervous systems. Cannabinoids also play a central role in developmental physiology, management of pain, and shaping of human behaviour. Recent movements towards legalization of marijuana use have bolstered scientific interest in the cannabinoid field and led to research efforts that would unveil multi-faceted effects and mechanisms of cannabinoid presence in different organs and at various stages of development. This book summarizes the recent advances in the field of cannabinoid research at multiple levels of resolution. It spans from systemic effects of cannabinoids on development, physiological function, and prevalent pathophysiological conditions to mechanisms that govern cannabinoid interaction with their relevant protein targets at atomic resolution. This book will be of interest to a specialized audience in the fields of biochemistry, pharmacology and developmental biology but alsoto a wider readership with interest in general physiology and cannabinoid signalling in biological systems.
Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, Ninth Edition, offers a balanced view of the most current knowledge of cancer science and clinical oncology practice. This all-new edition is the consummate reference source for medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, internists, surgical oncologists, and others who treat cancer patients. A translational perspective throughout, integrating cancer biology with cancer management providing an in depth understanding of the disease An emphasis on multidisciplinary, research-driven patient care to improve outcomes and optimal use of all appropriate therapies Cutting-edge coverage of personalized cancer care, including molecular diagnostics and therapeutics Concise, readable, clinically relevant text with algorithms, guidelines and insight into the use of both conventional and novel drugs Includes free access to the Wiley Digital Edition providing search across the book, the full reference list with web links, illustrations and photographs, and post-publication updates
Currently, intensive effort is being directed toward the identification of molecular targets that can provide approaches to the development of novel therapeutic strategies in cancer management. This book focuses on metastasis-associated genes, metastasis promoter and suppressor genes, which relate specifically to behavioral alterations of cancer cells in epithelial mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cell maintenance and propagation, and to the acquisition of invasive and metastasis faculty. The function of these genes has implications for cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation and so constitute an essential element in cancer growth and dissemination. The emphasis in this book is on how appropriate these genes are as molecular targets and how practicable are the constituents of their signal transduction systems as potential candidates and how accessible they are to targeted therapy. Written in a straightforward and clear style with background information supporting the new research, this book will be useful for students and researchers in cancer therapies. Identifies molecular targets and their accessibility for therapeutic interventionProvides information on biological features of tumor development and dissemination Background information provided for each topic
The key aim of the proposed chapter is to provide readers a brief description for the most important parts of the field of circulating tumor cells (CTCs): the core techniques, including negative and positive selection-based CTC isolation, and the differences between them. Most importantly, we will also review the clinical applications and important findings in clinical trials. The evidence-based review will not only help clinicians use CTCs to predict recurrence and foresee the disease-related outcomes but also to inspire the researchers in this field to conduct further investigations.
The clinical significance of tumor spread has always been appreciated. Yet, in spite of the pioneering work and outstanding contributions of investigators such as D. Coman, H. Green, B. Fisher, S. Wood and I. Zeidman, studies on metastasis rarely achieved the popularity afforded to more esoteric areas of tumor biology. Tumor dissemination, occurring as it does in a responding host and being composed of a series of dynamic int~ractions, is a highly complex phenomenon. Few investigators were brave enough to attempt to unravel the mechanisms involved. Paradoxically, this very complexity may have contributed, in part, to the recent upsurge of interest in metastasis research. More and more researchers are becoming fascinated by the complexities of the cellular interactions involved in tumor spread. Accompanying this intellectual stimulation have been technological advances in related fields which allow the derivation of new model systems. The mechanisms of metastatic spread are increasingly amenable to both the reductionist and holistic approaches and it is the purpose of this volume to present many of these model systems while emphasizing the intricacy and complexity of the processes they mimic. We have attempted to emphasize two topics not previously covered in depth in previous books on metastases. These are in vitro models of invasion and in teractions of tumor cells with connective tissue.
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.