Chromosomal Instability and Aging: Basic Science and Clinical Implications PDF

Preface

Understanding the biological basis of aging has fascinated people throughout recorded history, and is one of the great remaining scientific questions. The question has never been more important than now, as we anticipate the impact that a rapidly growing older population will have on the social, political, and medical landscape over the next 50 years. There is increasing evidence that aging involves damage to the genome, and it is certainly the case that such damage explains much of the coupling of most cancers to aging. This volume brings together expert reviews on issues related to the role of chromosomal instability in the modulation of life span and health span.

The primary aim of this book is to provide the scientific community with a current treatise on the cellular and molecular bases of aging and chromosomal instability in human diseases and model organisms. We intend this book for students, scientists, and physicians interested in the biology of aging and human genetics, and for those studying genomic instability in the fields of biochemistry, genetics, therapeutic radiology, oncology, and pathology. The realization that aging could be studied by using the methods of modern molecular biology and genetics has led to an explosion of knowledge in the field. Indeed, one of the difficulties of beginning a career in aging research has been how widely scattered the information is, with relevant publications appearing in numerous and diverse scientific journals. In this sense, the biology of aging is a "supraspecialty" encompassing many other fields, rather than a narrow subspecialty. This text will provide readers with a background for understanding a wide range of the most important work, and a context for future discoveries.

This book is not intended to be encyclopedic, nor the final word on the subjects presented. Progress in research on chromosomal instability and aging continues at a remarkable pace, and we apologize for the inevitable lapses between this publication and the most current literature. This book is well referenced through the beginning of 2002, and we are extremely grateful to our contributors and colleagues who made sure that the latest possible information was included within the time constraints of the publishing process. Fortunately, the Internet has emerged as a means of rapid dissemination of scientific information. One of us (GMM) has been crucial in launching a site devoted to aging research. At present, the site (http://sageke.sciencemag.org) is freely available.

We have assembled a group of leading investigators to contribute to this book. Their individual scientific contributions have been remarkable, and it is a pleasure to acknowledge our indebtedness to them. Their generosity in contributing to this enterprise has been inspiring. We thank Professor Phil Hanawalt for graciously agreeing to write the Foreword for this volume. We also wish to thank our colleagues who anonymously reviewed and commented on the chapters. Their collective expertise and individual thoughtful criticisms and suggestions are greatly appreciated. The responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies that remain, however, lies with us.

We received special assistance from many individuals throughout the writing and editing of this book. We owe a special debt of gratitude to Mr. William T. Comfort, Jr., whose generosity and timely support made this book indescribably easier to produce. We also gratefully acknowledge the support and encouragement of the John A. Hartford Foundation, especially by Mr. James F. O'Sullivan.

We also wish to thank Jinnie Kim, Annie Cok, and their colleagues at Marcel Dekker, Inc., for their commitment to this project from its inception. Student workers Kristin Felice and Anne Lincoln made countless trips to the library and provided cheerful, patient secretarial assistance. Carl Richmond provided exemplary, enthusiastic editorial support, without which this book could not have been completed. At last count, during the production of this book, four children were born to individuals who participated in creating it. We are especially grateful to all eight of their parents for their tolerance and support. Finally, we thank our families for their encouragement.