Adhesion Molecules PDF

Preface

The adhesion molecules are a family of proteins located on the cell surface and are involved in cell-to-cell or cell-extracellular matrix binding. They have a role in maintaining the cellular integrity of tissues and the functional viability of organs. In many diseases the normative features of adhesion molecules are perturbed. Thus, understanding how adhesion molecules behave in health and disease is a key step in the advancement of science and health in general. This book Adhesion Molecules is designed to impart important information on adhesion molecules. It is multidisciplinary and covers all scientific levels.

Adhesion Molecules has four major sections, covering (1) General aspects, (2) Cellular, metabolic and organ specific diseases, (3) The immune system and cancer and finally (4) Cardiovascular and neuronal aspects of adhesion molecules. The simplistic nature of the main section headings, however, should not detract from the fact that individual chapters are highly detailed. For example, in the first part of the book, chapters cover the structure and classification of adhesion molecules, immunohistochemical localization, junctional and inflammatory adhesion molecules and molecular imaging. The rest of the book is equally detailed, covering adhesion molecules in relation to signalling pathways, gene expression, arginine, stem cells, neutrophil migration, leukocytes decompression sickness, ischemia reperfusion injury, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, weight loss, hypoxia, kidney disease, smoking, osteoprotegerin, tumors, bioinformatics, high-throughput technologies, chemotherapy, hematopoiesis, lipoproteins, fatty acids, atrial fibrillation and heart disease, brain and dementia. Effectively, the book Adhesion Molecules has wide coverage from the cell to the whole body.

There are three distinguishing features of Adhesion Molecules that sets it apart from other scientific texts. As well as an Abstract, each chapter has one or more Key Facts or Key Features which expands areas of interest for the novice. There are also at least five definitions and explanations of key terms or words used in each chapter. Finally, each chapter is summarised with at least five bullets points. The book is well-illustrated with numerous figures and tables and the entire book has an excellent index. As a consequence of these features the readership is designed to be broad, from the novice to leading expert.

Contributors of Adhesion Molecules are all either international or national experts, leading authorities or are carrying out ground breaking and innovative work on their subject. The book is an essential book for research scientists, pathologists, molecular biologists, biochemists or cellular biochemists, clinicians, health care professionals, general practitioners as well as those interested in disease in general.

Adhesion Molecules is part of the Modern Insights into Disease from Molecules to Man series.