This is the second edition of the comprehensive, concise summary of apoptosis research. It covers the major concepts, molecular architecture, the biochemical pathways, and pathophysiological significance of apoptosis. This book provides a guideline of standard biochemical and cell biologic approaches to apoptosis bench work with an emphasis on translational clinical applications for immune disorders, cancer research, ischemia, and neuronal degeneration. Since the original publication in 2003, the apoptosis field has expanded rapidly - chapters not only need to be revised and expanded, but there is a need for all new chapters covering exciting advances in bioinformatics, systems biology, oxidative stress, etc.
As a fundamental biological process, cell death and cell survival is essential to the normal homeostasis of the organism. Our knowledge on this process has been tremendously expanded in the past two decades. Essentials of Apoptosis: A Guide for Basic and Clinical Research was first published in 2003. It timely provided a comprehensive but concise summary of the essential information of apoptosis to both new investigators to the field and seasoned researchers seeking an integrated view of the topics. The past several years have witnessed significant new developments in the field of apoptosis and cell death in general. The concept of various types of cell death has been further developed. The studies in both basic and clinical disciplines have been greatly expanded. Notable progresses have been made in extending the work into the therapeutic arena. As a result, the field has matured considerably and developed extensive crosstalk with works in other fields. The second edition incorporates these new developments, in addition to the basic core concepts and machinery of apoptosis. Multiple new topics are added that expand the coverage on different types of cell death (apoptosis, necrosis, autophagic death and mitotic death), and on different death pathways (mediated by mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, death receptors, or lysosome). Furthermore, several integrated topics linking cell death to metabolism, redox status, transcription regulation are included and a systems biology approach to study apoptosis is introduced. Moreover, the roles of apoptosis and cell death in the pathogenesis of many human diseases in every major organ system are explored in details with novel therapeutic outlooks. This edition is the result of the hard work by more than 80 leading experts from across the world.
Authoritative, comprehensive and highly instructive, the second edition of Essentials of Apoptosis should be valuable for both novice and seasoned investigators, asan informative reference as well as a practical guide.
From the reviews of the second edition:
"This book comprehensively reviews knowledge of the main mechanism of cell death, apoptosis, both from the molecular viewpoint and in relation to the roles of this process in mammalian physiology and pathology. ? chapters are well written and scholarly in content and present the reader with a thorough and up-to-date insight into these fields. This book is highly recommended for scientists working in many areas of cell or developmental biology, as well as those involved in more clinical fields, such as neurobiology or molecular oncology." (Mike Clemens, Microbiology Today, November, 2009)
"The book 'Essentials of Apoptosis' is a collection of 31 review articles, covering a wide variety of approaches in studying cell death. ? It enables the reader to get acquainted with many aspects of apoptosis, and impressive amounts of references cited in each of the article allows for further studies on the subject. I recommend this book to anyone seriously interested in research on programmed dell death." (Piotr P. Stepien, Acta Biochimica Polonica, December, 2010)
"Prof. Yin and Prof. Dong ? were able to cover both conceptual and practical aspects as well as both basic and applied research aspects, thus leading to translation research aspects in biomedicine, which is a crucial hot topic in modern biomedical clinic. ? the potential readership is made up of the entire scientific comunity ? and cellular biologists, developmental biologists, protein scientists." (CarloAlberto Redi, European Journal of Histochemistry, Vol. 54 (e11), 2010)
"Comprehensive overview of the history and current knowledge of the study of the genetic program of cell death ? . the book is to inform the basic researcher and the clinician interested in understanding how inappropriate apoptosis may underlie their area of scientific interest, and in this respect it succeeds. ? a welcome addition for thecollection of a newcomer to apoptosis: in the basic research lab, a graduate student or post-doc would benefit from ? the excellent reference sections provided for each chapter." (Robert Screaton, The Canadian Journal of Neurological Science, May, 2010)
