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Overview
Leading experts explore the pragmatic application of the tools of genomic and molecular biology research to the treatment of stroke. Providing the reader with cutting-edge reviews of clinical and preclinical genomics, the authors relate changes in gene expression to physiological endpoints-such as functional imaging paradigms-to produce a more holistic approach in which molecular biology goes hand-in-hand with stroke pathophysiology. Topics of special interest include stem cell transplantation, gene therapy, clinical gene/gene interaction studies, and cytokine drug discovery. Readily reproducible techniques are provided, along with ancillary methods (imaging, animal models, human genetic study design, and transgenic animal production) that can be effectively applied to gene discovery. The book shows how to successfully design, execute, and interpret preclinical and clinical molecular biological studies of stroke, work that will greatly advance its understanding, as well as rapid development of the next generation of stroke therapeutics.
Synopsis
With sequencing of the human genome now complete, deciphering the role of gene function in human neurological pathophysiology is a promise that has yet to be realized. More than most diseases, stroke has been keenly studied from a genomic perspective. Studies are numerous and incorporate data on stroke inheritance, chromosomal loci of risk, preclinical models of stroke, and differential gene expression of brain injury, repair, and recovery. The problem is no longer a lack of information but one of interpretation and prioritization of what we do know. The aims of Stroke Genomics: Methods and Reviews are twofold. First, it aims to provide the reader with cutting-edge reviews of clinical and preclinical genomics, written by leading experts in the field. In particular, the authors of certain chapters relate gene expression changes to physiological end points, such as functional imaging paradigms. Thus, a more holistic approach to gene expression is described, one in which molecular biology goes hand in hand with stroke pathophysiology. Second, detailed methods for study of the molecular biology of stroke are TM also included. Following the format of the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, these chapters will enable the reader to employ each technique without recourse to other methods texts. In its entirety, this book should provide the reader with the knowledge needed to design, execute, and interpret preclinical and clinical studies of stroke genomics.Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Celso Agner, MD, MS, MSc(Michigan Neurology Partners)Description: Stroke diagnostics has gone beyond the description of the phenomenon. Current understanding suggests that not only the clinical scenario but also the etiology of stroke are necessary to determine the best possible treatment for each individual patient. The study of the genes involved in the manifestation of vascular diseases may shed some light on novel therapies for acute stroke and a review of the current knowledge is needed.
Purpose: The purpose is to address the other, sometimes forgotten, aspects of stroke pathogenesis: the genetic code and inheritance patterns in stroke. Albeit complex, these are worthy objectives that the authors have met.
Audience: Neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroscientists are the main audiences for this book.
Features: The 26 authors contribute 15 chapters. The book's structure resembles a laboratory manual, following the format of Methods in Molecular Medicine, in which step-by-step procedures are reported with the projected pitfalls and disadvantages of each approach. The first part of the book develops the background for the current genetic studies, whereas the second and third sections deal with the development of new models of genetic stroke investigation and how to establish a relationship between what is known now to what can be done for victims of what has been called "cryptogenic stroke." Would those and only those be linked to genetic alterations or do all strokes have a genetic basis? This is a hard question that remains partially unanswered. Overall, the book is very good, but too specific for a general practitioner. Probably the best audience would be stroke neurologists. The pictures are appropriate and so are the references. It's well worth the price.
Assessment: This is a good book for general medical and neurological libraries. It may be of interest to particular stroke neurologists who may consider novel forms of therapy for their patients.