We are in an exciting era in the war against cancer, with real prospects for novel anticancer drugs that are cancer cell-specific without the toxicities that have been the hallmark of conventional cytotoxic cancer chemotherapy. Advances in cancer cell biology fueled by the molecular biology revolution have resulted in the uncovering of many novel potential molecular targets for cancer therapy. New anticancer drug discovery and development is now largely focused on exploiting these new molecular targets, which encompass oncogenes, tumor s- pressor genes, and their gene products, as well as...

The field of DNA vaccines has undergone explosive growth in the last few years. As usual, some historical precursors of this approach can be d- cerned in the scientific literature of the last decades. However, the present state of affairs appears to date from observations made discreetly in 1988 by Wolff, Malone, Felgner, and colleagues, which were described in a 1989 patent and published in 1990. Quite surprisingly, they showed that genes carried by pure plasmid DNA and injected in a saline solution, hence the epithet "naked DNA," could be taken up and expressed by skeletal muscle cells with...

The aim of Hematologic Malignancies: Methods and Techniques is to review those methods most useful for the diagnosis and subsequent mana- ment of hematologic malignancies. The scope of coverage is intentionally broad, ranging from routine procedures to highly sophisticated methods not currently offered by most clinical laboratories. The latter methods were selected especially to bring into focus recent advances in molecular biology that, since they provide us with strong tools for assessing the outcome of upcoming therapeutic modalities intent on disease eradication, are expected to impact...

Psychiatric Genetics provides the reader with a complete view of the methodological problems encountered in psychiatry genetics and proposes solutions to commonly occurring questions. The best European and American specialists have given a thorough review on the advantages and disadvantages of genetic epidemiological methods, the way to choose a genetic marker or a clinical interview and how to ascertain patients, unaffected relatives and controls and what should be the criteria to include a case or a control. New phenotypic methods are described focusing on candidate symptom and...

Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer in men in Western society. A major concern, and an area of intensive research, involves understanding why certain prostate cancers remain localized or indolent, whereas others become aggressive and metastasize. The differences between these cancer types have profound implications for patients and physicians. Indolent d- ease, which grows very slowly, generally does not cause any problems to the patient, whereas aggressive disease requires immediate treatment, the earlier the better. At present, there are no markers that discriminate between these...

The Methods in Molecular Medicine series is intended as a resource for both novice and experienced investigators attempting to diversify their tech- logical base in research. Lung Cancer: Volume 1: Molecular Pathology Me- ods and Reviews presents an overview of the current status of assays employed to detect and characterize the multitude of pathologies that contribute to the development of this deadly disease. As with all volumes in the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, the reader should find that each methods-based chapter provides clear instructions for the performance of various...

Much of the progress in the diagnosis, classification, and treatment of childhood hematological disorders has come from a partnership between clinicians and scientists. Indeed, access to molecular techniques is now an integral part of the practice of modern pediatric hematology. The aim of Pediatric Hematology: Methods and Protocols is to provide a collection of scientific protocols that cover the major aspects of the discipline. Most clinicians will be familiar with the difficulties inherent in establishing the underlying diagnosis in genetic marrow failure syndromes. A particular concern is...

Harry Baker and Rosalind Ridley have done an admirable job in assem- bling this collection of articles that describe the methodology frequently used to study a group of CNS illnesses often referred to as the "prion diseases." Research on prions and the disorders that they cause has progressed relatively rapidly over the last decade since the discovery of the prion protein (PrP) that allowed the application of modem molecular biological and genetic tools. The power of these techniques is awesome and their use in deciphering the once mysterious prion diseases has brought a wealth of new...

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Methods and Protocols outlines the research methods applied in the laboratories and clinics of those scientists and cli- cians interested in the understanding and clinical management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Part I, The Clinical Problem, has been contributed by two leading cli- cal groups who have identified and addressed problem areas related to the management of HCC patients. Various treatment modalities are discussed and emphasis is placed on the limitations they experienced. Part II, HCC Carcinogenesis, reviews the main etiological factors...

Advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of disease together with the advent of recombinant DNA and other technologies have opened opportunities for a vast array of novel therapeutic biopharmaceuticals and diagnostic agents. However, even natural biomolecules present a myriad of problems that limit their potential as pharmaceutical agents. Rapid degra- tion and elimination, immunological reactions, and toxicity are often asso- ated with new biopharmaceuticals, much as with conventional agents. Targeted delivery systems have the potential to increase the efficacy of existing...