Bücher der Reihe Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

This book provides a state-of-the-art report on our current understanding of aquaporins and the future direction of the field. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a group of water-channel proteins that are specifically permeable to water and other small molecules, such as glycerol and urea. To date thirteen water-channel proteins (AQP0 ¿ AQP12) have been cloned and the mechanisms and physiological functions of water transport across biological membranes have long been the subject of interest. Recent advances in the molecular biology and physiology of water transport have yielded new insights into how and why water moves across cell membranes, and studies on aquaporin knockout mouse models suggest that aquaporins are involved in the development of some diseases and they may be useful targets of research into selective-inhibitor drugs. By focusing on the advances made over the last 30 years in the biophysics, genetics, protein structure, molecular biology, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of aquaporins in mammalian cell membranes, this book provides novel insights into further mechanisms and the physiological significance of water and some small molecule transport in mammals in order to stimulate further research in new directions.In the second version, fourteen chapters will be updated base on the most recent research articles. Ten new chapters will be added.

This book provides basic knowledge of the biology, chemistry, and function of oxysterols and its derivatives as well as of phytosterols in numerous human diseases.The book is divided into six sections and begins with an introduction to the biological and chemical properties of oxysterols and its derivatives as well as phytosterols, their synthesis, and the methods currently used for their detection in various biospecimens. The following section discusses in detail the various effects of oxysterols on numerous human diseases, including infectious diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis, and cancer, as well as neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Importantly, the potential of oxysterols as biomarkers for some of these diseases is also highlighted. The book concludes with an outlook on the pharmacological and nutritional effects of oxysterols and phytosterols and their potential use by the food, and pharmaceutical industries.Aiming to provide an in-depth overview of the biological and the chemical properties of oxysterols and phytosterols and their implications for human health, this book will be of interest to basic and clinical scientists, as well as to anyone working in the food or pharmaceutical industry who is exploring the potential of oxysterols and phytosterols.

This book provides the latest research progress on genome editing in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and includes bioinformatics research methodology of genome editing. Genome editing is a genetic engineering technique precisely modified specific target genes of organism genome, which has been applied to basic theoretical research and production applications from plants and animals to gene therapy of human beings. Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases have become major factors affecting human health worldwide. This book contains information about bioinformatics, genome editing in cardiovascular diseases, genome editing in metabolic diseases and therapeutic effects. It will be useful for biologist, cardiologist, cardiovascular surgeons, endocrinologist, internists, nurses, undergraduate and graduate students in medicine and cell biology and others interested in cardiovascular and metabolic medicine.

This book explores in depth the latest enabling technologies for regenerative medicine. The opening section examines advances in 3D bioprinting and the fabrication of electrospun and electrosprayed scaffolds. The potential applications of intelligent nanocomposites are then considered, covering, for example, graphene-based nanocomposites, intrinsically conductive polymer nanocomposites, and smart diagnostic contact lens systems. The third section is devoted to various drug delivery systems and strategies for regenerative medicine. Finally, a wide range of future enabling technologies are discussed. Examples include temperature-responsive cell culture surfaces, nanopatterned scaffolds for neural tissue engineering, and process system engineering methodologies for application in tissue development. This is one of two books to be based on contributions from leading experts that were delivered at the 2018 Asia University Symposium on Biomedical Engineering in Seoul, Korea - the companion book examines in depth novel biomaterials for regenerative medicine.

This book introduces readers to the latest technological advances in the emerging field of intelligent orthopaedics. Artificial intelligence and smart instrumentation techniques are now revolutionizing every area of our lives, including medicine. The applications of these techniques in orthopaedic interventions offer a number of potential benefits, e.g. reduced incision size and scarring, minimized soft tissue damage, and decreased risk of misalignment. Consequently, these techniques have become indispensable for various orthopaedic interventions, which has led to the emerging field of intelligent orthopaedics. Addressing key technologies and applications, this book offers a valuable guide for all researchers and clinicians who need an update on both the principles and practice of intelligent orthopaedics, and for graduate students embarking on a career in this field.¿

This book offers an in-depth and comprehensive review on current understanding of regulatory ncRNAs in complex diseases from a view of bioinformatics. It conveys state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools and methods for ncRNAs from computational detection, functional prediction, to their roles in diseases. Computational methods used to investigate uncharacterised ncRNAs in diseases are mainly summarized in seven aspects: DNA variation of ncRNAs in diseases, prioritization of disease-related ncRNAs, dysregulation epigenetic factors that regulate ncRNA misexpression (DNA methylation and histone-modification), complex crosstalk across ncRNAs, ncRNAs acted as competing regulators to mediate the expression of protein-coding genes, non-coding RNAs mediated risk pathways,and their contributions to drug target predictions. The generally used data resources of ncRNAs are also listed in the end. This book provides important information on the current progress in the fast-moving fields of bioinformatics for regulatory ncRNAs. It provides a timely and useful reference for computational biologists, specifically with RNA interests, and other related areas.Prof. Xia Li is a Professor and the Dean of College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China. Dr. Yun Xiao, Dr. Juan Xu, Dr. Shangwei Ning and Dr. Yunpeng Zhang are from College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, China.

This book provides an update on the latest development in the field of microRNAs in cancer research with an emphasis on translational research. Since the early 2000s, microRNAs have been recognized as important and ubiquitous regulators of gene expression. Soon it became evident that their deregulation can cause human diseases including cancer. This book focuses on the emerging opportunities for the application of microRNA research in clinical practice. In this context, computer models are presented that can help to identify novel biomarkers, e.g. in circulating microRNAs, and tools that can help to design microRNA-based therapeutic interventions. Other chapters evaluate the role of microRNAs in immunotherapy, immune responses and drug resistance.Covering key topics on microRNAs in cancer research this book is a valuable resource for both emerging and established microRNA researchers who want to explore the potential of microRNAs as therapeutic targets or co-adjuvants in cancer therapies.

This book covers the latest developments in tissue electrical conductivity and current density imaging, increasingly popular as well as challenging applications of MRI. These applications are enabled by the acquisition of high-quality MR phase images. This book provides a practical description of the MRI physics needed to understand and acquire phase images in MRI and the key details required to reconstruct them into conductivity, current density or electric field distributions. Comprehensive details are provided about the electrical properties of biological tissues, computational modeling considerations, experimental methods, construction of non-biological and biological phantoms and MRI pulse sequences. An inclusive review of image reconstruction algorithms, and their potential applications is provided for applications directed at determining current density or electric fields, such as in transcranial DC or AC stimulation techniques; as well as electrical conductivity reconstructions that may be of use in quantitative MRI applications used to detect cancer or other pathologies. This is an excellent book for undergraduate and graduate students beginning to explore phase, current density, and conductivity imaging in MRI, and will also be of great use to researchers interested in the area of MR-based electrical property imaging.

This book presents the latest research on multisensory brain function. Namely, the mechanisms by which the brain processes and integrates information from multiple sensory modalities. Its contents cover a broad range of topics, including optimal integration, cross-modal interactions, calibration, and causal inference ¿ with an emphasis on their neuronal underpinnings. By bringing together efforts from different laboratories around the world we aim to collaboratively shed light on these fundamental brain processes, that underlie perception, cognition, and behavior in a complex multisensory world, and to spur innovation of brain-inspired technologies

This book covers the wide set of well-regulated virulence factors and defense mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa focusing on stress responses and the evolution of this opportunistic human pathogen.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for one out of ten hospital infections.  Additionally, this Gram-negative bacterium is accountable for persistent infections in immunocompromised individuals and the leading cause of chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. This book provides insight on the metabolic versatility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its mechanisms for biofilm formation that make this organism highly efficient  in causing infections.  The book invites the readers to learn more about the intrinsic ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to resist a wide variety of antimicrobial agents due to the concerted action of multidrug efflux pumps, antibiotic-degrading enzymes, and the low permeability of bacterial cellular envelopes. Particular focus is put on the evolutionary role of different types of protein-secretion systems in pathogenesis, flagella and their role in chemotaxis and surface sensing, and host-pathogen interactions.This book is a useful introduction to the field for junior scientists interested in the biology and pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is also an interesting read for advanced scientists and medical specialists working within this field, providing a broader view of the topic beyond their specific area of specialization.

This book renders a comprehensive understanding of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from their embryonic development through adult maintenance to aging, in the studies conducted in zebrafish and mammals. Hematopoiesis provides a paradigm for understanding the development, maintenance, regeneration, aging and malignant transformation of mammalian organs. Sitting at the apex of the hematopoiesis hierarchy tree, HSCs orchestrate their proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation to produce all the blood cell lineages throughout life, which represents the best example for somatic stem cell studies. In this book, key regulatory mechanisms for HSC self-renewal and differentiation are overviewed in an array of fields including epigenetics, metabolism and microenvironment regulation. It also highlights the HSC heterogeneity and clonal dynamics from the recent advanced single-cell technologies. This book elaborates on the research history of HSC studies and reveals how the insights from HSC studies shed light on their clinic application. It presents great value from the bench to the clinic.

Much research has focused on the basic cellular and molecular biological aspects of stem cells. Much of this research has been fueled by their potential for use in regenerative medicine applications, which has in turn spurred growing numbers of translational and clinical studies. However, more work is needed if the potential is to be realized for improvement of the lives and well-being of patients with numerous diseases and conditions.This book series 'Cell Biology and Translational Medicine (CBTMED)' as part of Springer Nature's longstanding and very successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series, has the goal to accelerate advances by timely information exchange. Emerging areas of regenerative medicine and translational aspects of stem cells are covered in each volume. Outstanding researchers are recruited to highlight developments and remaining challenges in both the basic research and clinical arenas. This current book is the 16th volume of a continuing series.Chapter "e;Epithelial Stem Cells: Making, Shaping and Breaking the Niche"e; is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) continues to mature as a research field and is primed to make a swift transition to routine preclinical and clinical applications. This book will serve two main purposes:Advanced education in QUS by providing a complete and thorough review of all theoretical, physical, and engineering aspects of QUS.Review of recent development of QUS by lead contributors in the research field.This 2nd edition will focus on 6 modern research topics related to quantitative ultrasound of soft tissues:Spectral-based methods for tissue characterization, tissue typing, cancer detection, etc.Attenuation estimation for tissue characterization and improving spectral based methodsEnvelope statistics analysis as a means of quantifying and imaging tissue properties.Ultrasound computed tomography for preclinical and clinical imaging.Scanning acoustic microscopy for formingimages of mechanical properties of soft tissues with micron resolution.Phantoms for quantitative ultrasound.

This volume focuses on applying the Crispr system in editing the genome of human cells (in vitro and in vivo) and model organisms used in biomedical research. With the advent of Crispr technology, genome editing soon became a procedure of great interest to laboratories worldwide due to its relative ease and accuracy. In biomedical sciences, genome editing by Crispr has already enabled the development of new experimental model systems. In medicine, therapeutic alternatives for the genetic "correction" of diseases have already begun to appear. Therefore, the book's purpose is to bring in a single volume, chapters that show the scientific community in biomedicine, medicine, human genetics, oncology, virology, and parasitology, among others, the advances in genomic editing. In a chapter dedicated to the ethical aspects of human genomic editing, we also address what we can and should do with this (bio)technology. The book chapters were written by productive researchers specializing in Crispr genome editing. The chapters cover the concept of Crispr and genome editing and how to use this new methodology in biomedical research and medicine, among other aspects, including the ethical controversy around its use in humans. The writing of the chapters keeps a specialized language intelligible enough for those who want to introduce themselves to the subject.

This edited volumeaims to describe physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie human maternal-fetal interactions. The book emphasizes the structure and development of the fetoplacental unit, the endocrine and nutritional regulation of fetal development, nitric oxide signalling, solute carriers function and ion channels regulation in healthy pregnancies and diseases, like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and maternal obesity, among others. Also, we highlight novel mechanisms associated with language impairment in children, the use of serotonin inhibitors or cannabis during pregnancy, and maternal conditions' potential impact on cerebrovascular development in newborns and infants. The cellular and molecular understanding of maternal-fetal physiology and pathophysiology will allow the readers to understand the impact of diseases or conditions that are highly prevalent in pregnant women.

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease that causes substantial morbidity and has been challenging to treat due to its heterogeneous onset, environmental triggers, severity, and treatment response. To update the field on the rapid advances in this field, Precision Approaches to Heterogeneity in Asthma follows its highly successful predecessor, Heterogeneity in Asthma. In this new volume, noted authorities Allan R Brasier and Nizar N Jarjour and a cadre of leaders in the field incorporate new work advancing our understanding of phenotypes (endotypes) of disease, regional variations in ventilation, systems approach to analyzing the findings from studies of inducible phenotypes, and emerging results of biomarker-informed clinical trials. This work will facilitate our current understanding of the spectrum of disease etiology, prognosis, and the likelihood of responding to the range of available therapeutic interventions.

This book contains the proceedings of the XVIII International Symposium on Retinal Degeneration (RD2018). A majority of those who spoke and presented posters at the meeting contributed to this volume. The blinding diseases of inherited retinal degenerations have no treatments, and age-related macular degeneration has no cures, despite the fact that it is an epidemic among the elderly, with 1 in 3-4 affected by the age of 70. The RD Symposium focused on the exciting new developments aimed at understanding these diseases and providing therapies for them. Since most major scientists in the field of retinal degenerations attend the biennial RD Symposia, they are known by most as the ¿best¿ and ¿most important¿ meetings in the field.The volume presents representative state-of-the-art research in almost all areas of retinal degenerations, ranging from cytopathologic, physiologic, diagnostic and clinical aspects; animal models; mechanisms of cell death; candidate genes, cloning, mapping and other aspects of molecular genetics; and developing potential therapeutic measures such as gene therapy and neuroprotective agents for potential pharmaceutical therapy. While advances in these areas of retinal degenerations were described, there will be many new topics that either are in their infancy or did not exist at the time of the last RD Symposium. These include the role of inflammation and immunity, as well as other basic mechanisms, in age-related macular degeneration, several new aspects of gene therapy, and revolutionary new imaging and functional testing that will have a huge impact on the diagnosis and following the course of retinal degenerations, as well as to provide new quantitative endpoints for clinical trials. The retina is an approachable part of the central nervous system (CNS), and there is a major interest in neuroprotective and gene therapy for CNS diseases and neurodegenerations, in general. It should be noted that withsuccessful and exciting initial clinical trials in neuroprotective and gene therapy, including the restoration of sight in blind children, the retinal degeneration therapies are leading the way towards new therapeutic measures for neurodegenerations of the CNS. Many of the successes recently reported in these areas of retinal degeneration sprang from collaborations established at previous RD Symposia, and many of those were reported at the RD2016 meeting and included in the current volume. We anticipate the excitement of those working in the field and those afflicted with retinal degenerations is reflected in the volume.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the development and application of microfluidics and biosensors in cancer research, in particular, their applications in cancer modeling and theranostics.Over the last decades, considerable effort has been made to develop new technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Microfluidics has proven to be a powerful tool for manipulating biological fluids with high precision and efficiency and has already been adopted by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. With recent technological advances, particularly biosensors, microfluidic devices have increased their usefulness and importance in oncology and cancer research.The aim of this book is to bring together in a single volume all the knowledge and expertise required for the development and application of microfluidic systems and biosensors in cancer modeling and theranostics. It begins with a detailed introduction to the fundamental aspects of tumor biology, cancer biomarkers, biosensors and microfluidics. With this knowledge in mind, the following sections highlight important advances in developing and applying biosensors and microfluidic devices in cancer research at universities and in the industry. Strategies for identifying and evaluating potent disease biomarkers and developing biosensors and microfluidic devices for their detection are discussed in detail. Finally, the transfer of these technologies into the clinical environment for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients will be highlighted. By combining the recent advances made in the development and application of microfluidics and biosensors in cancer research in academia and clinics, this book will be useful literature for readers from a variety of backgrounds. It offers new visions of how this technology can influence daily life in hospitals and companies, improving research methodologies and the prognosis of cancer patients.

The book will contain reviews and brief research articles from the participants attending the International Society for Arterial Chemoreception (ISAC) meeting, to be held in Lisbon in Portugal in June/July 2020. Since ISAC was first established, almost 70 years ago, many advances in the classical field of arterial O2, CO2 and pH sensing have been achieved but the most impressive ones are probably related to the non-canonical roles of the carotid body, as its involvement in sympatho-mediated diseases. Over the recent years, the carotid body field has gained attention with the findings that carotid body dysfunction is associated with the development/maintenance of highly prevalent diseases from cardio-metabolic diseases to asthma. Knowing that most of the patients with these pathologies lack long-term disease control, it is imperative to define new pathophysiological mechanisms aiming to find new therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention. This book will cover a broad range of topics related, not only with the fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms related with the chemical sensing in the carotid body, but also with the adaptive and mal-adaptive responses of arterial chemoreceptors to O2-dependent and O2-independent mechanisms, namely with their impact on respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic homeostasis in healthy and disease conditions. This volume will be required text for all the researchers in the field of arterial chemoreceptors and will provide a valuable reference source for years to come.