This volume presents papers on the topics covered at the National Academy of Engineering's 2018 US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. Every year the symposium brings together 100 outstanding young leaders in engineering to share their cutting-edge research and innovations in selected areas. The 2018 symposium was held September 5-7 and hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts. The intent of this book is to convey the excitement of this unique meeting and to highlight innovative developments in engineering research and technical work.

The use of biomarkers in basic and clinical research has become routine in many areas of medicine. They are accepted as molecular signatures that have been well characterized and repeatedly shown to be capable of predicting relevant disease states or clinical outcomes. In Role of Biomarkers in Medicine, expert researchers in their individual field have reviewed many biomarkers or potential biomarkers in various types of diseases. The topics address numerous aspects of medicine, demonstrating the current conceptual status of biomarkers as clinical tools and as surrogate endpoints in clinical research. This book highlights the current state of biomarkers and will aid scientists and clinicians to develop better and more specific biomarkers for disease management.

This book collects and reviews, for the first time, a wide range of advances in the area of human aging biomarkers. This accumulated data allows researchers to assess the rate of aging processes in various organs and systems, and to individually monitor the effectiveness of therapies intended to slow aging. In an introductory chapter, the editor defines biomarkers of aging as molecular, cellular and physiological parameters that demonstrate reproducible changes - quantitative or qualitative - with age. The introduction recounts a study which aimed to create a universal model of biological age, whose most predictive parameters were albumin and alkaline phosphatase (indication liver function), glucose (metabolic syndrome), erythrocytes (respiratory function) and urea (renal function). The book goes on to describe DNA methylation, known as the "epigenetic clock," as currently the most comprehensive predictor of total mortality. It is also useful for predicting mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and for analyzing the effects of lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, and education. Individual contributions draw additional insight from research on genetics and epigenetic aging markers, and immunosenescence and inflammaging markers. A concluding chapter outlines the challenge of integrating of biological and clinical markers of aging. Biomarkers of Human Aging is written for professionals and practitioners engaged in the study of aging, and will be useful to both advanced students and researchers.

Gleaning information from more than 100 experts in the field of cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy worldwide, Cancer Biomarkers: Non-Invasive Early Diagnosis and Prognosis determines the significance of clinical validation approaches for several markers. This book examines the use of noninvasive or minimally invasive molecular cancer markers that are under development or currently in use. It deals with a majority of commonly prevalent cancers and can help anyone working in the health-care industry to recommend or develop early diagnostics, at-risk tests, and prognostic biomarkers for various cancers. It explores the practice of determining biomarkers by their characteristics and relative methodologies, and presents the most recent data as well as a number of current and upcoming early diagnostic noninvasive molecular markers for many common cancers. It also considers the sensitivity and specificity of markers, biomarker market, test providers, and patent information. Approximately 30-35 Cancer Specific Noninvasive Molecular Diagnostic Markers in a Single Volume The book details the general and technical aspects of noninvasive cancer markers. It covers imaging, cutting-edge molecular technologies for biomarker development, and noninvasive or minimally invasive sources of molecular markers, as well as quality control and ethical issues in cancer biomarker discovery. It also provides a detailed account of brain, head and neck, and oral cancer markers, and provides information on a number of gastrointestinal cancers, lung cancer, and mesothelioma markers. Emphasizes the Importance of Volatile Markers in Early Cancer Diagnosis Presents noninvasive early molecular markers in urological cancers Describes gynecological and endocrine cancer markers Details noninvasive markers of breast, ovarian, cervical, and thyroid cancers Addresses hematological malignancies Contains information on noninvasive molecular markers in myelodysplastic syndromes, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and multiple myeloma Provides comprehensive information on diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cutaneous melanoma This text considers molecular technologies for biomarker development, noninvasive or minimally invasive sources of molecular markers, and quality control and ethical issues in cancer biomarker discovery.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "MicroRNAs: Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Human Cancers" that was published in JCM

At present there are a growing number of biomolecules under investigation to understand their potential role as cancer biomarker for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic purposes. Intriguingly, the state of art on cancer biomarkers research shows interesting and promising results together to clamorous failures. Also from a clinical point of view, there are contradictory results on routine clinical use of the present cancer biomarkers. Some patients may be simply monitored in their course by a periodic blood sample, but sometimes this monitoring shows dramatic limits. A lot of patients show serious and extensive relapses without significant change in serum concentrations of biomarkers tested. Often the physician who should utilize these biomarker does not entirely know their limits and the total potential applications as well and sometimes this knowledge is influenced by economical and marketing strategies. This limited and "polluted" knowledge may have dramatic consequences for patient. The aim of this book is to diffuse all aspects of cancer biomarkers, from their biochemical peculiarities to all clinical implications by passing through their physiology and pathophysiology. This critical approach towards old and new cancer biomarkers should foster a deepened and useful understanding of the diagnostic and prognostic index of these fundamental parameters of laboratory medicine and in the same time facilitating the research of new and more sensitive-specific signals of the cancer cell proliferation.

A FRESH EXAMINATION OF PRECISION MEDICINE'S INCREASINGLY PROMINENT ROLE IN THE FIELD OF ONCOLOGY Precision medicine takes into account each patient's specific characteristics and requirements to arrive at treatment plans that are optimized towards the best possible outcome. As the field of oncology continues to advance, this tailored approach is becoming more and more prevalent, channelling data on genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and other areas into new and innovative methods of practice. Precision Medicine in Oncology draws together the essential research driving the field forward, providing oncology clinicians and trainees alike with an illuminating overview of the technology and thinking behind the breakthroughs currently being made. Topics covered include: Biologically-guided radiation therapy Informatics for precision medicine Molecular imaging Biomarkers for treatment assessment Big data Nanoplatforms Casting a spotlight on this emerging knowledge base and its impact upon the management of tumors, Precision Medicine in Oncology opens up new possibilities and ways of working – not only for oncologists, but also for molecular biologists, radiologists, medical geneticists, and others.

Technologies collectively called omics enable simultaneous measurement of an enormous number of biomolecules; for example, genomics investigates thousands of DNA sequences, and proteomics examines large numbers of proteins. Scientists are using these technologies to develop innovative tests to detect disease and to predict a patient's likelihood of responding to specific drugs. Following a recent case involving premature use of omics-based tests in cancer clinical trials at Duke University, the NCI requested that the IOM establish a committee to recommend ways to strengthen omics-based test development and evaluation. This report identifies best practices to enhance development, evaluation, and translation of omics-based tests while simultaneously reinforcing steps to ensure that these tests are appropriately assessed for scientific validity before they are used to guide patient treatment in clinical trials.