Non-selective inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE), such as theophylline, have been used extensively since 1958. In the decade of the '70s, various PDE isoenzymes were defined which led to the development of the second generation of PDE inhibitors. Currently a variety of these new inhibitors are under test as potential anti-inflammatory drugs. During the past five years, molecular biology has revealed a superfamily of these phosphodiesterase isoenzymes. This book summari...

Addressing the widespread need for a practical guide to imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), this book presents the protocols of IMS technology. As that technology expands, research groups around the world continue its development. Pharmaceutical companies are using IMS for drug analyses to study pharmacokinetics and medical properties of drugs. Drug research and disease-related biomarker screening are experiencing greater use of this technology, with a concurrent increase in the number of res...

The main objective of this book is to provide an up-to-date survey of the rapidly advancing eld of cancer therapy. Moreover, since our knowledge in this area rapidly evolves, some data have got obsolete during the process of book editing. Our understanding of the mechanisms involved in cancer genesis and progression underwent unprecedented expansion during the last decade, opening a new era of cancer treatment – targeted therapy. The surge in this area results in no small part from studies...

This book on Candida albicans and similar pathogens provides a timely overview of the groundbreaking discoveries made in the areas of drug resistance, host–pathogen interactions, virulence, host immune system modulation, etc., in the last two decades.This comprehensive 2nd Edition includes chapters on fungal infections, hyphal morphogenesis, molecular mechanisms of antifungal resistance, antifungal agents, multidrug transporters, virulence mechanisms in Candida albican...

Peptides play a crucial role in many physiological processes including actions as neurotransmitters, hormones, and antibiotics. Research has shown their importance in such fields as neuroscience, immunology, pharmacology, and cell biology. The Handbook of Biologically Active Peptides presents, for the first time, this tremendous body of knowledge in the field of biologically active peptides in one single reference. The section editors and contributors represent some of the most sophisticat...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous noncoding regulatory mRNAs of around 22-nucleotides long, have rapidly emerged as one of the key governors of the gene expression regulatory program in cells of varying species, with ever-increasing implications in the control of the fundamental biological processes and in the pathogenesis of adult humans. The exciting findings in this field have inspired us with a premise and a promise that miRNAs will ultimately be taken to the heart for therapy of human di...

Much of the biology of oxidative stress and oxidative signalling centres on the generation and handling of hydrogen peroxide. The overall aim for this book would be to provide an insightful and useful forum to assist with the understanding of the relevance of hydrogen peroxide generation and how this is managed in human biology. The target audience would be those who currently have an interest in the generation of ROS, but who do not have expertise in chemistry, as well as those experts in...

This book elucidates the mechanisms involved in biological membrane functions.It describes the new modalities and characterization for basic in vitro as well as computer models of biological membranes. Biological membranes are analyzed in terms of advances in molecular dynamics.The individual chapters provide an in depth analysis of images from various biological models. The potential of membrane models in the context of treatment trials is discussed. The authors present ne...

This book is a compilation of past and recent knowledge in the field of emerging drug resistance. The book covers major aspects of drug resistance in bacteria, fungi, malaria, and cancer.Human survival on earth is constantly threatened by disease and syndrome. From the early days, the aim of research in medicine was to find therapeutic agents that can improve the quality of human life. Although humans are dependent on natural compounds from early days their dependence of drugs incr...

Arachidonic acid (AA) and other 20 or 22-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are precursors of lipid mediators of inflammation known as eicosanoids. These mediators are critical in disease processes and in regulating normal cell function. Remodeling is important in maintaining homeostasis and in regulating cell function by dictating how PUFAs are converted to lipid mediators of inflammation. Thus, PUFA remodeling is a critical process in the biosynthesis of a multitude of mediators,...

This authoritative volume examines immunohistochemical methods aimed at investigating the toxicologic pathology of rodent, non-human primate and aquatic animal tissues. Eleven comprehensive chapters provide pathologists and researchers in various sub-disciplines of toxicology with a comprehensive review of the methods and approaches for immunohistochemical staining in various target tissues. It explores the tissue-antigen and antibody-specific problems that may be encountered during the st...

Recent and rapid progress in the field of biotechnology has resulted in an increasing number of novel macromolecular drugs with great promise for further advanced research and clinical application. However, the delivery of these macromolecular drugs by routes other than the parenteral route is difficult. The pipeline of macromolecular drugs derived from biotechnology presents a challenging opportunity to develop practical dosage forms that could be dosed via the oral route. Given this, the...