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Aromatase Inhibitors
Many breast tumours are dependent upon oestrogen for their development and continued growth. Over the last 25 years hormone therapy has progressed from the irreversible destruction of endocrine glands to the use of drugs that reversibly suppress oestrogen synthesis or action. The inhibition of oestrogen synthesis is most readily achieved by inhibiting the final step in the pathway of oestrogen biosynthesis, the reaction which transforms androgens into oestrogens by creating an aromatic ring in the steroid molecule (hence the enzyme's trivial name, aromatase). Whereas the first aromatase inhibitors to be used therapeutically could be shown to produce drug-induced inhibition of the enzyme and therapeutic benefits in patients with breast cancer, they were not particularly potent and lacked specificity. However, second-generation drugs were developed and most recently third-generation inhibitors have evolved which possess remarkable specificity and potency. Initial results from clinical trials suggest that these agents will become the cornerstones of future endocrine therapy.
Aromatase Inhibitors
Many breast tumours are dependent upon oestrogen for their development and continued growth. Over the last 25 years hormone therapy has progressed from the irreversible destruction of endocrine glands to the use of drugs that reversibly suppress oestrogen synthesis or action. The inhibition of oestrogen synthesis is most readily achieved by inhibiting the final step in the pathway of oestrogen biosynthesis, the reaction which transforms androgens into oestrogens by creating an aromatic ring in the steroid molecule (hence the enzyme's trivial name, aromatase). Whereas the first aromatase inhibitors to be used therapeutically could be shown to produce drug-induced inhibition of the enzyme and therapeutic benefits in patients with breast cancer, they were not particularly potent and lacked specificity. However, second-generation drugs were developed and most recently third-generation inhibitors have evolved which possess remarkable specificity and potency. Initial results from clinical trials suggest that these agents will become the cornerstones of future endocrine therapy.
Antiangiogenic Agents in Cancer Therapy
Antiangiogenesis remains a dynamic and evolving field in oncology. New therapeutic targets continue to emerge followed by the rapid development of new therapeutic agents to be investigated in clinical trials. Optimizing the therapeutic potential of antiangiogenic agents in combination with the other therapies in the armamentarium to fight cancer will be an on-going challenge. Antiangiogenic Agents in Cancer Therapy, Second Edition provides a current, up-dated perspective on the state of the art of angiogenesis and therapy with a compendium of scientific findings and approaches to the study of angiogenesis in cancer. Leaders in the field present chapters on such topics as the environmental influences and the genetic and physiologic abnormalities that mediate angiogenesis and its role in the progression of malignant disease, working models of tumor angiogenesis, and the role of angiogenesis inhibition in the therapy of malignant disease in humans. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Antiangiogenic Agents in Cancer Therapy, Second Edition is an ideal, valuable guide to the most recent advances in the field, and a collection that will be useful for many years to come.
Animal Models of T Cell-Mediated Skin Diseases
Pharmaceutical companies are spending increasing amounts of money on drug discovery and development. Nevertheless, attrition rates in clinical development are still very high, and up to 90% of new compounds fail in clinical phase I - III trials, which is partially due to lack of clinical efficacy. This indicates a strong need for highly predictive in vitro and in vivo models. The "50th International Workshop of the Ernst Schering Research Foundation" focussed on "Animal Models of T Cell-Mediated Skin Diseases". Such animal models should have impact not only on inflammatory dermatoses but also on other inflammatory disorders due to their model character. The current volume summarises recent advances in animal research that are important for anti-inflammatory drug discovery.
Analyzing T cell responses : How to analyze cellular immune responses against tumor associated antigens
Active specific immunotherapy is a promising but investigational modality in the management of cancer patients. Currently, several different cancer vaccine formulations such as peptides, proteins, antigen-pulsed dendritic cells, whole tumor cells, etc. in combination with various adjuvants and carriers are being evaluated in clinical trials (1-3). To determine the optimal cancer
An introduction to clinical trials
An Introduction to clinical trials is a concise step-by-step guide to the principles and practices of clinical trials for those studying clinical trials or new to working on one. Clinical trials are critical to the progress of medicine and improving healthcare / as they evaluate whether new treatments and interventions work. They are also complex / multidisciplinary projects that integrate science / ethics / and legal requirements in the conduct of medical research.
Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that robs the minds of our elderly population. Approximately one in every eight adults over the age of 65 and nearly half of those over 85 are afflicted with this disease. The aging population in developed societies will impose an ever increasing socioeconomic threat in the future. Current medicines for AD patients are mainly symptomatic treatments and a huge unmet medical need exists to slow the progression of this disease. A great deal of research has been dedicated to understanding the pathogenesis of AD from which comes many ideas for intervening with its progression. Some of these ideas have been fast-tracked to clinical trials due to the availability of medicines with proven clinical efficacies for other diseases (e.g. atorvastatin, simvastatin, rosiglitazone and clioquinol) while others represent novel chemical entities (e.g. glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitors).
AI in disease detection : Advancements and applications
Discusses the integration of artificial intelligence to revolutionize disease detection approaches, with case studies of AI in disease detection as well as insight into the opportunities and challenges of AI in healthcare as a whole. The book explores a wide range of individual AI components such as computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning as well as the development and implementation of AI systems for efficient practices in data collection, model training, and clinical validation.
Agricultural Implications of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident : The First Three Years
Consists of various topics, including radioactivity inspection of food products; decontamination trials for rice and livestock production; the state of contamination in wild animals and birds, trees, mushrooms, and timber; the dynamics of radioactivity distribution in mountain and paddy fields; damage incurred by the forestry and fishery industries; and the change in consumers’ minds. The last chapter introduces a real-time radioisotope imaging system, the forefront technique to visualize actual movement of cesium in soil and in plants. This is the only book to provide systematic data about the actual change of radioactivity, and thus is of great value for all researchers who wish to understand the effect of radioactive fallout on agriculture.
Agricultural Implications of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident (III)
Reports on studies undertaken at contaminated sites such as farmland, forests, and marine and freshwater environments, with a particular focus on livestock, wild plants and mushrooms, crops, and marine products in those environments. It also provides additional data collected in the subsequent years to show how the radioactivity levels in agricultural products and their growing environments have changed with time and the route by which radioactive materials entered agricultural products as well as their movement between different components (e.g., soil, water, and trees) within an environmental system (e.g., forests). The book covers various topics, including radioactivity testing of food products; decontamination trials for rice and livestock production; the state of contamination in, trees, mushrooms, and timber; the dynamics of radioactivity distribution in paddy fields and upland forests; damage incurred by the forestry and fishery industries; and the change in consumers’ attitudes. Chapter 19 introduces a real-time radioisotope imaging system, a pioneering technique to visualize the movement of cesium in soil and in plants.
Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos
This book gives an overview of the sessions, panel discussions, and outcomes of the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference, held in February 2018 in San Antonio, Texas, USA, and hosted by the Mays Cancer Center and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.
Advances in Radiation Oncology in Lung Cancer
This volume is unique in being devoted solely to the radiation oncology of lung cancer, and will be of great value to all who are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Both non-small cell and small cell lung cancer are considered in detail. Current state of the art treatment strategies and novel approaches that promise further improvements in outcome are explained and evaluated, with the aid of high-quality illustrations. Treatment-related toxicity is discussed, and further individual chapters focus on topics such as quality of life studies, prognostic factors and pitfalls in the design and analysis of clinical trials.
Advances in multiple Sclerosis and Experimental Demyelinating Diseases
Challenging Charcot’s hypothesis that inflammatory response is the primary contributor to demyelination, Dr. Rodriguez and colleagues take a fresh, bold look at the causes and possible treatments of MS.Assuming oligodendrocyte injury as a prerequisite to MS, the authors explore viruses, toxins and genetic defects as possible culprits. They present novel methods to interrupt and reverse demyelination. This book examines the correlation between axonal loss and clinical deficits, including the implied role of the CD8+ T cell and perforin. It assesses proteases, specifically, kallikrein 6, which are strongly associated with active demyelination. By directing natural autoantibodies against oligodendrocytes that demonstrate remyelination in animal models, the authors envision clinical trials for remyelination enhancement.
