Stem cells are relatively undifferentiated cells which are the permanent lineage ancestor cells of tissues. Newly developed molecular biological techniques and probes have made possible dramatic advances in our ability to study the lineage development of stem cells. A major impetus to develop these techniques has been to identify specific stem cells for gene therapy purposes. The role that stem cells play in the development of cancer is also an important area. This book provides up-to-date...

Based on the most novel approaches and cutting-edge clinical and scientific information regarding radionuclide imaging and therapies for neuroendocrine tumors, this clinical guidebook represents a unique collaborative effort between endocrinologists, nuclear physicians, oncologists, surgeons, physicists, radio-pharmacists and geneticists. It begins with the embryology, classification and molecular genetics of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoids, chromaffin cell tumo...

In September 1998 experts from 19 countries came together for an interdisciplinary discussion of the function of animal peroxidases, a family of enzymes embracing myeloperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase, thyroid peroxidase and lactoperoxidase. Their papers have been updated for publication, yielding a wide-ranging overview of the state of the art. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including three-dimensional structure of representative family members, their biosynthesis and intrace...

Radiation Medicine Rounds is a trinary, hard cover periodical designed to provide an up-to-date review of a dedicated radiation medicine topic of interest to clinicians and scientists who are involved in the care of patients receiving radiotherapy. It is intended to serve as both a reference and instructional tool for students, housestaff, fellows, practicing clinicians, medical physicists, cancer biologists, radiobiologists, and interdisciplinary colleagues throughout the oncolog...

Cytochemical Bioassays: Techniques and Clinical Applications describes the techniques and clinical applications of cytochemical bioassays, particularly with respect to polypeptide hormones. This book discusses the clinical and research implications of studies that use these techniques. This text is comprised of 14 chapters; the first of which introduces the reader to the origins and general principles of cytochemical bioassays, along with their advantages. This discussion is followed by a ...

Kidney Development and Disease brings together established and young investigators who are leading authorities in nephrology to describe recent advances in three primary areas of research. The first section describes the use of animal models as powerful tools for the discovery of numerous molecular mechanisms regulating kidney development. The second section focuses on nephric cell renewal and differentiation, which lead to diverse cell fates within the developing kidney, and disc...

This book is written by International experts in their field and should appeal to students and seasoned researchers, to scientists and to clinicians. No prior knowledge of the topic is required to appreciate this text and yet the book charters new territory. New perspectives are given on how our knowledge of cancer development might lead us to reconsider our clinical approach to early detection and prevention of cancer at an individual and population level.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most notorious pathogens on earth, causing the death of approximately 1.5 million people annually. A major problem in the fight against tuberculosis is the emergence of strains that have acquired resistance to all available antibiotics. One key to the success of M. tuberculosis as a pathogen is its ability to circumvent host immune responses at different levels. This is not only a result of the special makeup of M. tuberculosis...

This volume is dedicated to Professor Ullrich Trendelenburg. It contains the proceedings of a symposium which was held in his honour on the occasion of his retirement and took place March 22-24, 1991 in Wiirzburg. Ullrich Trendelenburg was the head of the Department of Pharmacology at Wiirzburg University from 1968 till the end of March 1991. He is famous internationally for his contributions to the physiology and pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system, and his impact on pharmacology...

This book offers an overview of our current understanding of host defense peptides and their potential for clinical applications as well as some of the obstacles to this. The chapters, written by leading experts in the field, detail the number and diversity of host defense peptides, and discuss the therapeutic potential not only of antibacterial, but also of antifungal, antiviral, plant antimicrobial and anticancer host defense peptides. The authors provide new insights into their mechanis...

This book sheds new light on the physiology, molecular biology and pathophysiology of epithelial ion channels and transporters. It combines the basic cellular models and functions by means of a compelling clinical perspective, addressing aspects from the laboratory bench to the bedside. The individual chapters, written by leading scientists and clinicians, explore specific ion channels and transporters located in the epithelial tissues of the kidney, intestine, pancreas and respiratory tra...

New experimental observations often require fresh concepts for their interpretation, and at times even changes of paradigms. This is the situation with the recent realization that circulating endothelial progenitor cells may have an important contribution to the maintenance and formation of new endothelium in adult organisms, in a surprisingly wide variety of situations. The classical paradigm of angiogenesis, centered on the notion of "sprouting" can hardly accommodate them. It was previo...