Prognostic and Therapeutic Applications of RKIP in Cancer provides updated reviews on the chemistry, signaling, pre-clinical and clinical activities, and role of RKIP expression levels for diagnostics, prognosis and potential interventions. The development of novel compounds and conjugates that selectively induce RKIP expression in cancer open a novel era of new therapeutics and their potential in the treatment of highly resistant cancers and metastases. Edited and written by internationally renowned experts in the field of novel therapeutics for cancer, this book is a valuable source for cancer researchers, medical scientists, clinicians, clinical pharmacologists, and graduate students.
- Provides an update from experts in the field on diagnostics, prognostics and therapeutics
- Brings a clear overview of recent findings and references, as well as summaries, significant molecular pathways, and conclusions in each chapter
- Provides a general introductory chapter on contributions in the field and a chapter summary, with synthesized findings and a projection of future goals
Dr Bonavida has vast expertise and various reported publications in the field of tumor cell sensitization to chemotherapy (a total of greater than 500 publications) and in particular the novel role of Nitric Oxide (NO) donors in chemo-sensitization and reversal of drug resistance. In addition, he was the first scientist to co-organize an international meeting on the topic (First International Workshop on NO and Cancer, 2005).
Stavroula Baritaki’s, PhD, is currently Professor in Experimental Oncology at the University of Greece,. Her areas of expertise include the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in tumour cell therapeutic resistance and acquisition of a metastatic phenotype. Her studies have revealed novel gene products, including Raf-1 Kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP),. Followed by further studies on the epigenetic and post-translational regulation of RKIP in many cancer types, her overall findings have firstly suggested the RKIP downregulation in cancer cells as a putative gene signature of tumor chemo/immune-resistance and EMT with prognostic and therapeutic significance in an individualized basis. On this context, Dr. Baritaki has extended her research interests in identifying novel agents that through RKIP induction are able to inhibit EMT or improve either the host immunosurveillance and/or the efficacy of anti-tumor therapies, especially if they are combined with conventional immuno-stimulatory or chemotherapeutic regimens. Most of these agents are currently under clinical trials.
