Biologia molecolare

This abridged version of the bestselling reference "Handbook of Stem Cells, Two-Volume Set" attempts to incorporate all the essential subject matter of the original two-volume edition in a single volume. The material has been reworked in an accessible format suitable for students and general readers interested in following the latest advances in stem cells, including full color presentation throughout. Although some extra language and chapters have been deleted, rigorous effort has been made to retain from the original two-volume set the material pertinent to the understanding of this exciting area of biology. The organization of the book remains largely unchanged, combining the prerequisites for a general understanding of adult and embryonic stem cells; the tools, methods, and experimental protocols needed to study and characterize stem cells and progenitor populations; as well as a presentation by the world's experts of what is currently known about each specific organ system. The key features include: full-color presentation throughout; each chapter begins with 3-5 defined glossary terms, and all of the terms are collected in a comprehensive list within the book; and, references have been eliminated - now there are about 10 bibliographic entries per chapter.

The field of non-viral vector research has rapidly progressed since the publication of the first edition. This new edition is expanded to two separate volumes that contain in-depth discussions of different non-viral approaches, including cationic liposomes and polymers, naked DNA and various physical methods of delivery, as well as a comprehensive coverage of the molecular biological designs of the plasmid DNA for reduced toxicity, prolonged expression and tissue or disease specific genes. New developments such as the toxicity of the non-viral vectors and recent advances in nucleic acid therapeutics are fully covered in these volumes.

Giunto oggi a una terza edizione completamente rinnovata, "Introduzione alla Medicina Molecolare" presenta in modo sintetico m

Viviamo nella era del DNA e tutto intorno a noi oggi è riconducibile a questa molecola: l'economia, il sapere, le nanotecnologie, le riflessioni filosofiche, la giurisprudenza, la medicina. Oggi con la conoscenza dettagliata della sequenza del genoma umano, tutti questi aspetti del nostro vivere, anche come ci percepiamo, sono legati in qualche modo alla molecola del DNA. Persino la rappresentazione artistica oggi attinge alle informazioni legate a questa molecola; anche l'architettura. È dunque imperativo conoscere le opportunità offerte oggi dagli studi sul DNA: cellule staminali, cibi OGM, farmacogenomica, biobanche, solo per citare alcuni degli aspetti di maggiore rilevanza.

"Molecular Diagnostics" covers current molecular biological techniques used to identify the underlying molecular defects in inherited disease. Although an increasing number of laboratories, both academic and private are moving in that direction, there are only a few books in the existing literature, and they deal only partly with diagnosis at the molecular level. Each chapter includes the principle and a brief description of the technique, followed by examples from the authors' own expertise. Contributors are well-known experts in their field, and derive from a variety of disciplines, to ensure breadth and depth of coverage. This book: examines widely used molecular biology techniques to screen for genetic defects causing inherited disorders; includes state-of-the-art techniques for the detection of the underlying genetic heterogeneity leading to inherited disorders; identification of genetically modified organisms (GMO's); forensic analysis and every-day issues in a diagnostic laboratory; and discusses ethics, genetic counselling and quality management.

New discoveries in the field of stem cell research have frequently appeared in the news and in scientific literature. Research in this area promises to lead to new therapies for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and a wide variety of other diseases. This two-volume reference integrates this exciting area of biology, combining the prerequisites for a general understanding of adult and embryonic stem cells, the tools, methods, and experimental protocols needed to study and characterize stem cells and progenitor populations, as well as a presentation by the world's experts of what is currently known about each specific organ system. The editors of the "Handbook of Stem Cells" include: Robert Lanza, Helen Blau, John Gearhart, Brigid Hogan, Douglas Melton, Malcolm Moore, Roger Pedersen, E. Donnall Thomas, James Thomson, Catherine Verfaillie, Irving Weissman, and Michael West. The Editorial Board includes: W. French Anderson, Peter Andrews, Anthony Atala, Jose Cibelli, Giulio Cossu, Robert Edwards, Martin Evans, Elaine Fuchs, Margaret Fuller, Fred Gage, Richard Gardner, Margaret Goodell, Ronald Green, William Haseltine, Joseph Itskovitz-Eldor, Rudolf Jaenisch, Ihor Lemischka, Dame Anne McLaren, Richard Mulligan, Stuart Orkin, Martin Pera, Benjamin Reubinoff, Janet Rossant, Hans Scholer, Austin Smith, Evan Snyder, Davor Solter, Alan Trounson, and Leonard Zon. This comprehensive set should be a much-needed addition to the library of students and researchers alike. It provides comprehensive coverage on this highly topical subject. It contains contributions by the foremost authorities and premiere names in the field of stem cell research. The accompanying CD-ROM includes over 250 color figures.

"Molecular Endocrinology, Third Edition" summarizes the area and provides an in-depth discussion of the molecular aspects of hormone action, including hormone-receptor interactions, second messenger generation, gene induction, and post-transcriptional control. Thoroughly revised and updated, the third edition includes new information on growth factors hematopoietic-immune factors, nonclassical hormones, receptors, transduction, transcriptional regulation, as well as other relevant topics. Incorporating an abundance of new information, this text retains the self-contained, focused, and easily readable style of the second edition. It includes discussion of recently characterized hormones. Recent advances in understanding chromatin remodeling are highlighted in this edition. It incorporates over 80 tables and 140 figures to beautifully illustrate recent biomedical advances.

This is a comprehensive survey of the current state-of-the-art in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for malignant disease. The authors focus on the indications and results of transplantation for acute leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and breast cancer. Special attention is given to transplant-related complications, including the pathophysiology and clinical consequences of acute and chronic GVHD, delayed immune reconstitution leading to infectious complications, and organ damage to the lung and liver. Additional chapters address the sources of stem cells and the effects of graft manipulation used to eliminate residual contaminating tumor cells in autologous transplantation, or to reduce the number of T lymphocytes causing GVHD in allogenic transplantation.

Tratto dalle lezioni tenute nell'a.a. 2003-2004 al corso di Analisi dei segnali biomedici della laurea triennale in Ingegneria Biomedica a Pisa, uno dei principali obiettivi del libro è quello di introdurre gli studenti a concetti di base e a strumenti metodologici necessari per affrontare corsi avanzati di elaborazione di segnali e immagini biomediche. Nel libro sono frequenti i richiami a problematiche di bioingegneria, per dimostrare praticamente l'importanza degli argomenti trattati nel percorso dell'ingegnere biomedico. Il testo fornisce una trattazione matematica sufficientemente approfondita dell'analisi di segnali deterministici e aleatori, della risposta impulsiva e funzione di trasferimento di sistemi lineari, e include alcuni richiami di calcolo combinatorio e calcolo delle probabilità. Inoltre sono trattati alcuni aspetti dell'analisi statistica di dati, in particolare la statistica descrittiva e inferenziale e l'impiego della tecnica delle componenti principali per risolvere problemi di analisi multivariata di dati medici. Non mancano importanti momenti progettuali riguardanti le metodologie di analisi e sintesi di filtri numerici e di analisi statistica multivariata.

Ricerca scientifica, sperimentazione, biotecnologie umane, ambiente, ogm, scelte economiche, allocazione delle risorse: tematiche che pongono politica, diritto e società di fronte a scelte dall'esito non scientificamente ed eticamente certo. Diventa allora fondamentale conoscere i termini scientifici delle questioni e gli esiti delle sperimentazioni per operare su queste basi un sano confronto che rifugga da presunte sicurezze facili proibizionismi, lassismo o inerzie. Pietro Greco, giornalista scientifico e scrittore, lavora per l'agenzia Zadig Roma. È direttore del "Master in comunicazione della scienza" presso la Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati di Trieste. Collabora con il quotidiano L'Unità, con Rocca e altre riviste.