Gene therapy was conceived during the early and mid part of the 20th century. At first, it was considered a revolutionary biomedical procedure, which could potentially cure any disease for which the molecular bases were understood. Since then, gene therapy has gone through many stages and has evolved from a nearly unrealistic perspective to a real life application. Clinical efficacy in humans was demonstrated at the beginning of this century after its successful application in small-scale ...

How will increased understanding of the human genome affect our ability to diagnose and treat disease? The subject of recombinant DNA technology is no longer limited to the research laboratory; it is being discussed in ever-widening medical circles. Introduction to Molecular Medicine is especially written for the physician who is not a genetics expert but wishes to understand this new science and find entry to the more specialized publications. The first chapters present t...

This thesis outlines the development of the very first technology for high-throughput analysis of paired heavy and light-chain antibody sequences, opening an entirely new window for antibody discovery and the investigation of adaptive immune responses to vaccines and diseases.Previous methods for high-throughput immune repertoire sequencing have been unable to provide information on the identity of immune receptor pairs encoded by individual B or T lymphocytes. The author directly ...

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 develop...

DNA Methylation and Complex Human Disease reviews the possibilities of methyl-group-based epigenetic biomarkers of major diseases, tailored epigenetic therapies, and the future uses of high-throughput methylome technologies. This volume includes many pertinent advances in disease-bearing research, including obesity, type II diabetes, schizophrenia, and autoimmunity. DNA methylation is also discussed as a plasma and serum test for non-invasive screening, diagnostic and prognostic tests, as ...

This book explores the major cytokines, such as IL-1 and IFN-γ, with respect to the regulation of their gene expression and protein production in specific immune cell types. It discusses both healthy physiological settings and in pathological situations in which the expression of some cytokines could be dysregulated, resulting in either immunodeficiency or exacerbated inflammatory sequelae in animal models as well as in human patients. Cytokines are important regulators of immune responses...

Albinism in Africa: Historical, Geographic, Medical, Genetic, and Psychosocial Aspects provides the first in-depth reference for understanding and treating patients of human albinism in Africa. Leading international contributors examine the historical, geographic, psychosocial, genetic and molecular considerations of importance in effectively and sensitively managing this genetic disorder. Foundational chapters covering the historical and psychosocial aspects of albinism are supplemented b...

While most stem cell books focus on basic aspects and/or cell therapy, this book emphasizes the relevance of stem cells obtained from patients, the so-called “patients in a petri dish” as tools to investigate human genetic diseases for which there are no available effective treatment. Chapters embrace several examples of the use of iPS cell technology, a recent Nobel Prize-winning scientific breakthrough, to obtain patient-specific pluripotent cells from which many types of specialized cel...

This essential volume explores mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their potential to suppress immune-mediated inflammation. The chapters examine applications in autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis; blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma; and reproductive complications, specifically pre-term labor and use of MSCs in vitro and in animal models to discover methods of suppressing the causal inflammatory response. It also further defines t...

The present book addresses the multi-disciplinary nature of Translational Outcomes Research, which is a watershed for nearly all the disciplines of Life and Health Sciences, along with the Materials Sciences including but not limited to Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Nanotechnology, the Medical Sciences, Bioengineering, Biophysics, Medicinal Chemistry, Structural Biology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics. This book, for the first time, addresses the basic premises...

This book explores the role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the context of regenerative medicine (RegMed). In particular, it reveals the value of RegMed as a new TM branch intended to improve the health and quality of life, by restoring, maintaining or enhancing tissue and functions of organs.The book is divided into three chapters, the first of which describes the relevance of translational medicine (TM) as a new research approach to counteract the imposing challengeof a...