Human Serum Albumin

This book presents a comprehensive overview of medical and pharmaceutical applications of human serum albumin (HSA), with updates on structural aspects of albumin from the perspectives of X-ray crystallography and NMR, endogenous and exogenous ligand binding of albumin in various pathological conditions, and genetic variants and their phenotypes. Rapid progress and development of its applications have resulted in outstanding results for which albumin has clearly been proven to be a robust biomaterial. Contributions from leading international experts in this field show how HSA is applied to diagnosis, therapy, drugs, and treatment, with a comprehensive introduction of HSA. This volume will appeal to scientists in pharmaceutical and medical research including pharmaceutical chemists, pharmacokineticists, toxicologists, and biochemists not only in academia but also in industry. Readers can effectively acquire the most recent knowledge of applications of HSA and its impact on human health in a single volume.

The first of its kind, All About Albumin summarizes the chemistry, genetics, metabolism, clinical implications, and commercial aspects of albumin. It provides the most up-to-date sequences, structures, and compositions of many species, and includes more than 2000 references. Includes up-to-date sequences, structures, and compositions of many species Reviews the protein chemistry, genetic control, and metabolism of albumin Covers medical and cell culture applications in vivo and in vitro, with a section on handling albumin in the laboratory Presents the relationship of albumin to its superfamily with an updated scheme for their evolution First complete coverage of all aspects of serum albumin in one volume, with more than 2000 references

Human Serum Albumin (HSA) is the most abundant plasma protein. It has been widely used for drug delivery systems and has recently emerged as a versatile carrier for therapeutic agents against diabetes, cancer and infectious diseases. This book provides an overview of the expanding field of preclinical and clinical applications and developments that use albumin as a carrier of drug delivery systems. The authors' discuss the properties of drug binding sites within the structure of HSA, discuss new possibilities for the therapeutic potential of HSA and analyze recently reported HSA-drug complexes including HSA-antibody conjugates. Novel investigations on the applications of albumin fusion proteins are discussed as well, with a focus on tumor targeting and intracellular delivery. Other chapters examine the different aspects of albumin glycation and oxidation, the changes in the structure of human serum albumin determined from infrared spectroscopy and a review of CAPIDAN, a special fluorescent dye, which attaches to drug binding sites of human serum albumin.

Human serum albumin is found in the intravascular and extracellular space and is the main protein of human blood plasma. Human serum albumin binds water, cations (such as Ca2+, Na+, K+), fatty acids, hormones, bilirubin, thyroxin (T4) and pharmaceuticals. Structurally, the serum albumins are similar, each domain containing five or six internal disulfide bonds. In the opening chapter of Human Serum Albumin: Structure, Binding and Activity the authors review, the structure, content and binding of HSA.Then, the role of albumin in free radical trapping activities and as an oxyradical scavenger is described. A discussion of recent advances in the use of the antioxidant properties of human serum albumin to make drugs detectable in vivo is also presented.Human serum albumin has one tryptophan residue and shows a characteristic fluorescence of around 350 nm under ultraviolet irradiation. Because tryptophan is easily oxidized by reactive oxygen species and/or photoexcited molecules through electron transfer (leading to fluorescence diminishment) a fluorometry of this tryptophan residue is a useful tool to evaluate oxidation. In light of these characteristics, the authors examine the photosensitizing activity of organic photosensitizers, including porphyrins and phenothiazine dyes.The use of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy for the determination of human serum albumin structure, drug binding and in vivo activity is explored, in addition to drug modifications using human serum albumin.Following this, this compilation studies the major approaches for the characterization of human serum albumin as a fluorinated drug delivery agent and fluorinated albumin influence on drug binding. Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated conjugates of albumin and adsorbed human serum albumin on surfaces containing CF3 are also discussed.The concluding study investigates possible similarities and differences in albumin concentration and the presence of tyrosine in urine from a population of healthy and microalbuminuria dependent women. The assessment of subtle changes in albumin concentration, the primary macromolecular component of urine, is critical for the diagnosis of early stage albuminuria, one of the major complications in nephropathy.

Following their own brilliant careers in haeme protein research, the outstanding scientists Jonathan and Beatrice Wittenberg continue to provide inspiration to the research community in the study of oxygen-binding proteins. Their research has provided the intellectual stimulus to bring together scientists from all over the world with the common goal of developing fascinating new ideas and performing innovative experiments. This book is dedicated to Jonathan’s and Bea’s lifetime careers. It further illuminates the facts and ideas which dot the paths they traced in Biochemistry and Physiology, elaborating on how these landmark achievements were made and how the haeme proteins community still refers to them. With the field of haeme protein science such a flourishing area, the contributors to this book predict Jonathan and Bea, having played such a seminal role, will continue to be key figures for quite some time to come.

Albumin Structure, Function and Uses reviews the many facets of serum albumin, including its history and evolutionary development, structure and function, synthesis, degradation, distribution and transport, and metabolic behavior. The use, misuse, and abuse of albumin in the treatment of disease are also discussed. This book is comprised of 17 chapters and begins with a commentary on how albumin is used, misused, and abused in the treatment of disease such as peptic ulcer, and a description of the real indications for its use. Concepts in albumin purification are then examined, along with the amino acid sequence of serum albumin and some aspects of its structure and conformational properties. Subsequent chapters explore the phylogenetics of albumin; albumin binding sites; clinical implications of drug-albumin interaction; genetics of human serum albumin; and hepatic synthesis of export proteins. Albumin catabolism and intracellular transport are also considered, together with surgical and clinical aspects of albumin metabolism. This monograph should be a useful resource for biochemists and clinicians.

X-PLOR is a highly sophisticated computer program that provides an interface between theoretical foundations and experimental data in structural biology, with specific emphasis on X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in solution of large biological macro-molecules. This manual to X-PLOR Version 3.1 presents the theoretical background, syntax, and function of the program and also provides a comprehensive list of references and sample input files with comments. It is intended primarily for researchers and students in the fields of computational chemistry, structural biology, and computational molecular biology.

A single volume collection that surveys the exciting field of plant-made pharmaceuticals and industrial proteins This comprehensive book communicates the recent advances and exciting potential for the expanding area of plant biotechnology and is divided into six sections. The first three sections look at the current status of the field, and advances in plant platforms and strategies for improving yields, downstream processing, and controlling post-translational modifications of plant-made recombinant proteins. Section four reviews high-value industrial and pharmacological proteins that are successfully being produced in established and emerging plant platforms. The fifth section looks at regulatory challenges facing the expansion of the field. The final section turns its focus toward small molecule therapeutics, drug screening, plant specialized metabolites, and plants as model organisms to study human disease processes. Molecular Pharming: Applications, Challenges and Emerging Areas offers in-depth coverage of molecular biology of plant expression systems and manipulation of glycosylation processes in plants; plant platforms, subcellular targeting, recovery, and downstream processing; plant-derived protein pharmaceuticals and case studies; regulatory issues; and emerging areas. It is a valuable resource for researchers that are in the field of plant molecular pharming, as well as for those conducting basic research in gene expression, protein quality control, and other subjects relevant to molecular and cellular biology. Broad ranging coverage of a key area of plant biotechnology Describes efforts to produce pharmaceutical and industrial proteins in plants Provides reviews of recent advances and technology breakthroughs Assesses realities of regulatory and cost hurdles Forward looking with coverage of small molecule technologies and the use of plants as models of human disease processes Providing wide-ranging and unique coverage, Molecular Pharming: Applications, Challenges and Emerging Areas will be of great interest to the plant science, plant biotechnology, protein science, and pharmacological communities.

Monitoring and Intervention for the Critically Ill Small Animal: The Rule of 20 offers guidance for assessing the patient, interpreting diagnostic test results, and selecting appropriate monitoring procedures. Based on Rebecca Kirby’s time-tested Rule of 20, with a chapter devoted to each item on the checklist Provides comprehensive guidance for monitoring a critically ill small animal patient Emphasizes the interplay of each parameter with one another Designed for fast access on the clinic floor, with potentially life-saving ideas, tips, lists and procedures Presents tables, schematics, algorithms, and drawings for quick reference