The CCN Proteins are thought to play key roles in the biology of normal cell, tissue, organ, and body, and altered expression of CCN proteins is associated with several pathologies, including fibrosis and cancer. Because of its importance, the CCN field is expanding at a fast pace. Research articles in this field have recently increased logarithmically, and a book that is up-to-date, comprehensive, authoritative and affords insights into the biological roles of CCN proteins, is timely.CCN Protein: A New Family of Cell Growth and Differentiation Regulators presents the most recent progress in the field of CCN proteins, a new family of secretory signaling molecules that are involved in several fundamental biological progress. These proteins share a unique multimodular organization and present a partial identity with four families of regulatory proteins controling growth and development. The book covers the roles of CCN proteins in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation during normal development, wound repair, chondrogenesis and bone development, angiogenesis, tissue regeneration, fibrosis, renal diseases and cancer development.

This timely volume provides a comprehensive overview of glucocorticoids and their role in regulating many aspects of physiology and their use in the treatment of disease. The book is broken into four sections that begin by giving a general introduction to glucocorticoids and a brief history of the field. The second section will discuss the effects of glucocorticoids on metabolism, while the third section will cover the effects of glucocorticoids on key tissues. The final section will discuss general topics, such as animal models in glucocorticoid research and clinical implications of glucocorticoid research. Featuring chapters from leaders in the field, this volume will be of interest to both researchers and clinicians.

The Nutrition and Health series of books has as an overriding mission to provide health professionals with texts that are considered essential because each includes: a synthesis of the state of the science; timely, in-depth reviews by the leading researchers in their respective fields; extensive, up-to-date fully annotated reference lists; a detailed index; relevant tables and figures; identification of paradigm shifts and the consequences; of information between chapters, but targeted, inter-chapter refer virtually no overlap rals, suggestions of areas for future research; and balanced, data-driven answers to patient questions that are based on the totality of evidence rather than the findings of any single study. The series volumes are not the outcome of a symposium. Rather, each editor has the potential to examine a chosen area with a broad perspective, both in subject matter as well as in the choice of chapter authors. The international perspective, especially with regard to public health initiatives, is emphasized where appropriate. The editors, whose training is both research and practice oriented, have the opportunity to develop a primary objective for their book, define the scope and focus, and then invite the leading authori ties from around the world to be part of their initiative. The authors are encouraged to provide an overview of the field, discuss their own research, and relate the research de findings to potential human health consequences.

These conference papers review the current state of research in the field of neuropeptides and peptergic neurons. Special topics concern molecular aspects of processing, release and degradation of neuropeptides, receptors and signal transduction, and comparative and behavioural aspects.

This volume contains a unique selection of chapters covering a wealth of contemporary topics in this ubiquitous and diverse system of cell signaling. It offers much more than the accessibility and authority of a primary text book, exploring topics ranging from the fundamental aspects of calcium signaling to its varied clinical implications. It presents comprehensive discussion of cutting-edge research alongside detailed analysis of critical issues, at the same time as setting out testable hypotheses that point the way to future scientific endeavors. The contributions feature material on theoretical and methodological topics as well as related subjects including mathematical modeling and simulations. They examine calcium signaling in a host of contexts, from mammalian cells to bacteria, fruit fly and zebrafish. With much of interest to newcomers to the field as well as seasoned experts, this new publication is both wide-ranging and authoritative. The chapter “Calcium Signaling: From Basic to Bedside” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Chromatin Signaling and Diseases covers the molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression, which govern everything from embryonic development, growth, and human pathologies associated with aging, such as cancer. This book helps researchers learn about or keep up with the quickly expanding field of chromatin signaling. After reading this book, clinicians will be more capable of explaining the mechanisms of gene expression regulation to their patients to reassure them about new drug developments that target chromatin signaling mechanisms. For example, several epigenetic drugs that act on chromatin signaling factors are in clinical trials or even approved for usage in cancer treatments, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases. Other epigenetic drugs are in development to regulate various class of chromatin signaling factors. To keep up with this changing landscape, clinicians and doctors will need to stay familiar with genetic advances that translate to clinical practice, such as chromatin signaling. Although sequencing of the human genome was completed over a decade ago and its structure investigated for nearly half a century, molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression remain largely misunderstood. An emerging concept called chromatin signaling proposes that small protein domains recognize chemical modifications on the genome scaffolding histone proteins, facilitating the nucleation of enzymatic complexes at specific loci that then open up or shut down the access to genetic information, thereby regulating gene expression. The addition and removal of chemical modifications on histones, as well as the proteins that specifically recognize these, is reviewed in Chromatin Signaling and Diseases. Finally, the impact of gene expression defects associated with malfunctioning chromatin signaling is also explored. - Explains molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression, which governs everything from embryonic development, growth, and human pathologies associated with aging - Educates clinicians and researchers about chromatin signaling, a molecular mechanism that is changing our understanding of human pathology - Explores the addition and removal of chemical modifications on histones, the proteins that specifically recognize these, and the impact of gene expression defects associated with malfunctioning chromatin signaling - Helps researchers learn about the quickly expanding field of chromatin signaling