Apoptosis and Its Modulation by Drugs

Apoptosis is a fascinating concept for the basic scientist. This is not only because of the multifaceted variety of proposed and discovered mechanisms, but because apoptosis represents a fundamental pathway for cell renewal. The study of apoptosis has resulted in an array of discoveries on signal transduc tion and downstream effects that have facilitated and advanced many fields in biology, including research on cancer and other diseases. Thus, the apoptotic process can be viewed as the largest effort of the scientific community to understand how cells work and tissues assemble or remodel. The most direct consequence of this accumulated knowledge is a greater understanding of disease and pathological mechanisms. The end result of these efforts will be significant contributions to health and the adoption of new, never anticipated, therapeutic approaches. This book represents the summation of considerable effort from a significant group of contributors from all over the world as well as from its editors. In this fashion, many viewpoints have been collected and SUbjected to thorough academic discussion. The concepts contained in this medically important volume will stimulate and renew the ideas of scientists and indeed, will generate additional work to advance biological knowledge even further. The emphasis of this volume cements what has been established, adds what has not been explored fully, and creates a fertile ground for further hypotheses that will lead to a more complete understanding of the apoptotic process.

This book represents the summation of considerable effort from a significant group of contributors from all over the world as well as from its editors. The message contained is well delineated and will serve as a comprehensive resumé of factors influencing apoptosis. The end result of these efforts wil be significant contributions to health and the adoption of new, never anticipated, therapeutic approaches.

Klappentext

This book is concernced with the process of cell death in human cells by programmed cell death or apoptosis, and the modulation of this process by drugs. This is a new field of study and this volume represents the first comprehensive treatment of this subject matter. Its focus is on human biology and medicine. Apoptosis is a very prevalent type of cell death with importance in human diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease and autoimmune disorders. The book combines the expertise of leading scientists and writers from fields as diverse as neurosciences, immunology, pathology and cancer research. There is detailed analysis of the molecular and cellular aspects of apoptosis including the specific genes and molecules involved in the regulation of this special form of programmed cell death. Scientists, clinicians and researchers involved in studies of human biology and medicine will find this book an excellent resource.

Inhalt
1 Incidence of Apoptosis and Its Pathological and Biochemical Manifestations.- 2 Molecular Cellular and Tissue Reactions of Apoptosis and Their Modulation by Drugs.- 3 Hepatocyte Apoptosis Triggered by Natural Substances (Cytokines, Other Endogenous Molecules and Foreign Toxins).- 4 The Role of C-type Protein Kinases in Apoptosis.- 5 How Does Programmed Cell Death Contribute to AIDS Pathogenesis?.- 6 Apoptotic Cell Phagocytosis.- 7 T Cell Apoptosis and Its Role in Peripheral Tolerance.- 8 Apoptosis of Nerve Cells.- 9 Use of p53 as Cancer Cell Target for Gene Therapy.- 10 Antioxidants: Protection Versus Apoptosis.- 11 Reactive Oxygen Species and Apoptosis.- 12 Clearance of Apoptotic Lymphocytes by Human Kupffer Cells. Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells in the Liver: Role of Lectin Receptors, and Therapeutic Advantages.- 13 Drug-Induced Apoptosis of Skin Cells and Liver.- 14 Apoptosis and Eosinophils.- 15 Thymocyte and B-Cell Death Without DNA Fragmentation.- 16 Antigen Receptor-Induced Death of Mature B Lymphocytes.- 17 Modulation of Apoptosis and Maturation of the B-Cell Immune Response.- 18 The Neuroprotective and Neuronal Rescue Effect of (-)-Deprenyl.- References.