Apoptosis and Cancer Chemotherapy (Cancer Drug Discovery and Development)

The past few years have witnessed an astonishing international effort that established the role of some 20 new molecules in apoptosis and added activation or suppression of apoptosis to the accepted biological functions of a great many others already familiar in cancer biology. Some of these molecules are receptors, transducing cytokine-mediated signals; others appear to intensify or diminish the risk that a compro­ mised cell will fire its apoptosis effector mechanism. All are of interest as potential targets for tumor therapy, and some may prove to be control points influenced in the pathogenesis of cancer and other diseases as diverse as viral infection, neurodegenerative disorders, and stroke. Sometimes, in the midst of these developments, a kind of euphoria ap­ pears to have gripped the research community, with the expectation that apoptosis will afford explanations to many unsolved questions in cellu­ lar regulation. This book, in a series of thoughtful and provocative ar­ ticles--some from established leaders in the field, and others from younger scientists--seeks to redress the balance.

"This book provides a balanced view on the current knowledge on the relation between apoptosis and chemotherapy...The greatest merit of the book is to gather the different opinions about the relevance of apoptosis in chemosensitivity...Another positive aspect of this book is the effort made in having a relatively recent update presentation in most chapters, what is quite a remarkable achievement in a field where new molecules and pathways are continuously being discovered and described. Furthermore, the main concepts are discussed throughout this book in a balanced fashion, combining solid literature with some speculation, sometimes rather provocative as well...a book that pays off, since it provides an informative journey through a complex and interesting field. This book should be recommended not only for medical oncologists interested in molecular and mechanistic discussion about chemosensitivity, but also for basic scientists working in the field of drug-induced apoptosis."-Annals of Oncology

"This book of 21 chapters is a clinically relevant assessment of the chemotherapeutic significance of apoptosis in cancer treatment...the chapters are well written, relatively up to date and reasonably well illustrated."-Cell Biology International

"This book is of value to many scientists as a current reference to a complicated field. It also provides a balanced view of the field and warns investigators that complexity is the norm and over-simplification is a laboratory phenomenon."-Oncology

"...This book is an excellent critical summary of where the field is today...This is an excellent book with up to date references useful to graduate students, clinicians and researchers who, in a few hours reading would gain a broad overview of the current field."-Today's Life Science

"This volume represents the most comprehensive work devoted to the subject, and the editors have done an outstanding job of recruiting some of the most prominent researchers in the field....the book is an outstanding resource and should be extremely valuable to all investigators interested in cancer research."-Quarterly Review of Biology