AMPK has emerged as an important integrator of signals that control energy balance through the regulation of multiple biochemical pathways in eukaryotes. This book focuses on the implications of AMPK as a master metabolic regulator in diseases, including new methods and animal models. The contributions are written by leading experts in the field and give an extensive overview of the current knowledge of AMPK biology and the role of AMPK in health and disease.
The world is faced with an epidemic of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is due to changes in dietary habits and the decrease in physical activity. Exercise is usually part of the prescription, the first line of defense, to prevent or treat metabolic disorders. However, we are still learning how and why exercise provides metabolic benefits in human health. This open access volume focuses on the cellular and molecular pathways that link exercise, muscle biology, hormones and metabolism. This will include novel “myokines” that might act as new therapeutic agents in the future.
Bridging the gap between basic scientific advances and the understanding of liver disease — the extensively revised new edition of the premier text in the field. The latest edition of The Liver: Biology and Pathobiology remains a definitive volume in the field of hepatology, relating advances in biomedical sciences and engineering to understanding of liver structure, function, and disease pathology and treatment. Contributions from leading researchers examine the cell biology of the liver, the pathobiology of liver disease, the liver’s growth, regeneration, metabolic functions, and more. Now in its sixth edition, this classic text has been exhaustively revised to reflect new discoveries in biology and their influence on diagnosing, managing, and preventing liver disease. Seventy new chapters — including substantial original sections on liver cancer and groundbreaking advances that will have significant impact on hepatology — provide comprehensive, fully up-to-date coverage of both the current state and future direction of hepatology. Topics include liver RNA structure and function, gene editing, single-cell and single-molecule genomic analyses, the molecular biology of hepatitis, drug interactions and engineered drug design, and liver disease mechanisms and therapies. Edited by globally-recognized experts in the field, this authoritative volume: Relates molecular physiology to understanding disease pathology and treatment Links the science and pathology of the liver to practical clinical applications Features 16 new “Horizons” chapters that explore new and emerging science and technology Includes plentiful full-color illustrations and figures The Liver: Biology and Pathobiology, Sixth Edition is an indispensable resource for practicing and trainee hepatologists, gastroenterologists, hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgeons, and researchers and scientists in areas including hepatology, cell and molecular biology, virology, and drug metabolism.
Starting from a kinase of interest, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has gone far beyond an average biomolecule. Being expressed in all mammalian cell types and probably having a counterpart in every eukaryotic cell, AMPK has attracted interest in virtually all areas of biological research. Structural and biophysical insights have greatly contributed to a molecular understanding of this kinase. From good old protein biochemistry to modern approaches, such as systems biology and advanced microscopy, all disciplines have provided important information. Thus, multiple links to cellular events and subcellular localizations have been established. Moreover, the crucial involvement of AMPK in human health and disease has been evidenced. AMPK accordingly has moved from an interesting enzyme to a pharmacological target. However, despite our extensive current knowledge about AMPK, the growing community is busier than ever. This book provides a snapshot of recent and current AMPK research with an emphasis on work providing molecular insight, including but not limited to novel physiological and pathological functions, or regulatory mechanisms. Up-to-date reviews and research articles are included.
Signaling Pathways in Liver Diseases, 2nd edition focuses on signaling pathways which are particularly important in liver diseases. Recent progress brought hepatology to new frontiers. The increasing frequency of surgery on steatotic and cirrhotic liver obliges liver surgeons and hepatologists to understand the molecular mechanisms at play in these situations and how they can be influenced. Better comprehension of the cellular mechanisms participating in liver regeneration, hepato-cellular apoptosis and ischemia/reperfusion inquiry is mirrored by a dramatic increase in complexity. The number and scope of publications is intimidating and difficult for busy individuals to extract a coherent framework. This book will serve as a source of information facilitating the reading of the literature and the planning of trials. Translational medicine implies knowledge of the molecular targets for novel therapeutic strategies. It will furthermore stimulate more research and lead to better exchange between the laboratory, the clinical ward and the operation room.
This book series consists of 3 volumes covering the basic science (Volume 1), clinical science (Volume 2) and the technology and methodology (Volume 3) of autophagy. Volume 1 focuses on the biology of autophagy, including the signaling pathways, regulating processes and biological functions. Autophagy is a fundamental physiological process in eukaryotic cells. It not only regulates normal cellular homeostasis, and organ development and function, but also plays an important role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases. Thanks to the rapid development of molecular biology and omic technologies, research on autophagy has boomed in recent decades, and more and more cellular and animal models and state-of the-art technologies are being used to shed light on the complexity of signaling networks involved in the autophagic process. Further, its involvement in biological functions and the pathogenesis of various diseases has attracted increased attention around the globe. Presenting cutting-edge knowledge, this book series is a useful reference resource for researchers and clinicians who are working on or interested in autophagy.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are increasing worldwide problems. In this book we reviewed insulin secretion in both healthy individuals and in patients with type 2 diabetes. Because of the risk associated with progression from insulin resistance to diabetes and cardiovascular complications increases along a continuum, we included several chapters on the damage of endothelial cells in type 2 diabetes and genetic influences on endothelial cell dysfunction. Cardiovascular complications occur at a much lower glucose levels, thus a review on the oral glucose tolerance test compared to other methods was included. The medical conditions associated with type 2 diabetes such as pancreatic cancer, sarcopenia and sleep disordered breathing with diabetes were also discussed. The book concludes with several chapters on the treatments for this disease offering us hope in prevention and successful alleviation of the co-morbidities associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
In this first integrated view, practically each of the world's leading experts has contributed to this one and only authoritative resource on the topic. Bringing systems biology to cellular energetics, they address in detail such novel concepts as metabolite channeling and medical aspects of metabolic syndrome and cancer.
Early anthropological evidence for plant use as medicine is 60,000 years old as reported from the Neanderthal grave in Iraq. The importance of plants as medicine is further supported by archeological evidence from Asia and the Middle East. Today, around 1.4 billion people in South Asia alone have no access to modern health care, and rely instead on traditional medicine to alleviate various symptoms. On a global basis, approximately 50 to 80 thousand plant species are used either natively or as pharmaceutical derivatives for life-threatening conditions that include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. As the demand for plant-based medicine rises, there is an unmet need to investigate the quality, safety and efficacy of these herbals by the “scientific methods”. Current research on drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, analytical, and molecular techniques. For instance, high throughput robotic screens have been developed by industry; it is now possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds which act on a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. This and other bioassays thus offer hope that one may eventually identify compounds for treating a variety of diseases or conditions. However, drug development from natural products is not without its problems. Frequent challenges encountered include the procurement of raw materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput bioassays, and the scaling-up of preparative procedures. Research scientists should therefore arm themselves with the right tools and knowledge in order to harness the vast potentials of plant-based therapeutics. The main objective of Plant and Human Health is to serve as a comprehensive guide for this endeavor. Volume 1 highlights how humans from specific areas or cultures use indigenous plants. Despite technological developments, herbal drugs still occupy a preferential place in a majority of the population in the third world and have slowly taken roots as alternative medicine in the West. The integration of modern science with traditional uses of herbal drugs is important for our understanding of this ethnobotanical relationship. Volume 2 deals with the phytochemical and molecular characterization of herbal medicine. Specifically, It will focus on the secondary metabolic compounds which afford protection against diseases. Lastly, Volume 3 focuses on the physiological mechanisms by which the active ingredients of medicinal plants serve to improve human health. Together this three-volume collection intends to bridge the gap for herbalists, traditional and modern medical practitioners, and students and researchers in botany and horticulture.
