Cellular And Molecular Studies Of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Receptor Alpha Expression And Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Mediated Neuroprotection In The Canine Retina

Neurotrophic factors play central roles in the developing and mature nervous system by promoting neuronal survival. The discovery in 1990 that an exogenously supplied neurotrophic factor could slow the progression of photoreceptor loss in an animal model of retinal degeneration has given rise to an active field of research whose ultimate goal is to develop neuroprotective therapy for patients with blinding diseases. At the same time, a growing body of evidence suggests that endogenously expressed neurotrophic factors maintain retinal health and mediate retinal responses to stress throughout life. This thesis investigates both the requirement for retinal expression of neurotrophic factors in a model of endogenous neuroprotection, and the activity of exogenous factors in a clinically relevant new model of retinal injury.

This second edition of CNS Regeneration updates the burgeoning field of regeneration in the Central Nervous System (CNS) from molecular, systems, and disease-based perspective. While the book covers numerous areas in detail, special emphasis is given to discussions of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injury. Incorporates information gained from cutting-edge photomicroscopy techniques Includes current information on clinical trials Presents chapters on stem cells and other novel treatments for diseases of the CNS

There have been tremendous strides in cellular transplantation in recent years, leading to accepted practice for the treatment of certain diseases, and use for many others in trial phases. The long history of cellular transplantation, or the transfer of cells from one organism or region of the body to another, has been revolutionized by advances in stem cell research, as well as developments in gene therapy. Cellular Transplants: From Lab to Clinic provides a thorough foundation of the basic science underpinning this exciting field, expert overviews of the state-of-the-art, and detailed description of clinical success stories to date, as well as insights into the road ahead. As highlighted by this timely and authoritative survey, scale-up technologies and whole organ transplantation are among the hurdles representing the next frontier. The contents are organized into four main sections, with the first covering basic biology, including transplant immunology, the use of immunosuppressive drugs, stem cell biology, and the development of donor animals for transplantation. The next part looks at peripheral and reconstructive applications, followed by a section devoted to transplantation for diseases of the central nervous system. The last part presents efforts to address the key challenges ahead, such as identifying novel transplantable cells and integrating biomaterials and nanotechnology with cell matrices. Provides detailed description of clinical trials in cell transplantation Review of current therapeutic approaches Coverage of the broad range of diseases addressed by cell therapeutics Discussion of stem cell biology and its role in transplantation

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are an extremely rare group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases that primarily affect children. Core symptoms of these conditions typically include epilepsy, cognitive decline and visual failure. These diseases are so rare that professionals who come into contact with them need a consultative reference work that enables them to become expert, or identify who to contact for more details. Fully updated and revised, this second edition continues to be the definitive volume on this devastating group of disorders. Written by an international collection of authorities in the field, it provides invaluable advice on their diagnosis, patient care, and new treatments that are available. This new edition of the definitive reference text on the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses will prove useful for clinicians, family physicians, research scientists, diagnostic laboratories, families affected by the disease as well as by workers in industry planning translational research.

The Cytokines of the Immune System catalogs cytokines and links them to physiology and pathology, providing a welcome and hugely timely tool for scientists in all related fields. In cataloguing cytokines, it lists their potential for therapeutic use, links them to disease treatments needing further research and development, and shows their utility for learning about the immune system. This book offers a new approach in the study of cytokines by combining detailed guidebook-style cytokine description, disease linking, and presentation of immunologic roles. Supplies new ideas for basic and clinical research Provides cytokine descriptions in a guidebook-style, cataloging the origins, structures, functions, receptors, disease-linkage, and therapeutic potentials Offers a textbook-style view on the immune system with the immunologic role of each cytokine

The product of perhaps the most important research meeting in the field, this essential text outlines all the latest research in retinal degeneration. Culled from the proceedings of the International Symposium on the subject, the topics in this volume explore the etiology, cellular mechanisms, epidemiology, models and potential therapeutic measures for the blinding diseases of retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. A must-read for researchers in the field.

Completely revised and expanded, this second edition of The Cytokine FactsBook is the most up-to-date reference manual available for all current well-characterized interleukins, cytokines, and their receptors. An additional 52 cytokines are included, doubling the number of entries from the previous edition. The key properties of each cytokine are described and presented in a very accessible format with diagrams for each of the receptors. The Cytokine FactsBook includes free online access to the regularly updated Cytokine Webfacts. Cytokine Webfacts is a web-based comprehensive compendium of facts about cytokines and their receptors that includes a variety of data representations, such as text, signal pathway diagrams and 3D images. This exciting resource is integrated into other databases via hypertext links to provide a unique network, and contains a web-enabled version of RasMol for viewing structures.

Pediatric Neuroophthalmology details the diagnostic criteria, current concepts of pathogenesis, neuroradiological correlates, and clinical management of a large group of neuroophthalmic disorders that present in childhood. Surprisingly distinct from neuroophthalmic disorders afflicting adults, this set of diseases falls between the cracks of most ophthalmology training, and thus, warrants a practical, clinical guide for the practitioner in ophthalmology - the neuroophthalmologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, general ophthalmologist - as well as neurologists and for residents. The authors, leading pediatric ophthalmologists, have taken this difficult subject matter and developed an accessible, user-friendly manual with a detailed approach to the recognition, differential diagnosis, and management of pediatric neuroophthalmologic disorders.