An Omics Perspective On Cancer Research

Omics is an emerging and exciting area in the field of science and medicine. Numerous promising developments have been elucidated using omics (including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics, cytomics and bioinformatics) in cancer research. The development of high-throughput technologies that permit the solution of deciphering cancer from higher dimensionality will provide a knowledge base which changes the face of cancer understanding and therapeutics. This is the first book to provide such a comprehensive coverage of a rapidly evolving area written by leading experts in the field of omics. It complies and details cutting-edge cancer research that covers the broad advances in the field and its application from cancer-associated gene discovery to drug target validation. It also highlights the potential of using integration approach for cancer research. This unique and timely book provides a thorough overview of developing omics, which will appeal to anyone involved in cancer research. It will be a useful reference book for graduate students of different subjects (medicine, biology, engineering, etc) and senior scientists interested in the fascinating area of advanced technologies in cancer research. Readership: This is a precious book for all types of readers – cancer researchers, oncologists, pathologists, biologists, clinical chemists, pharmacologists, pharmaceutical specialists, biostatisticians, and bioinformaticists who want to expand their knowledge in cancer research.

Omics is an emerging and exciting area in the field of science and medicine. Numerous promising developments have been elucidated using omics (including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, interactomics, cytomics and bioinformatics) in cancer research. The development of high-throughput technologies that permit the solution of deciphering cancer from higher dimensionality will provide a knowledge base which changes the face of cancer understanding and therapeutics. This is the first book to provide such a comprehensive coverage of a rapidly evolving area written b.

Technologies collectively called omics enable simultaneous measurement of an enormous number of biomolecules; for example, genomics investigates thousands of DNA sequences, and proteomics examines large numbers of proteins. Scientists are using these technologies to develop innovative tests to detect disease and to predict a patient's likelihood of responding to specific drugs. Following a recent case involving premature use of omics-based tests in cancer clinical trials at Duke University, the NCI requested that the IOM establish a committee to recommend ways to strengthen omics-based test development and evaluation. This report identifies best practices to enhance development, evaluation, and translation of omics-based tests while simultaneously reinforcing steps to ensure that these tests are appropriately assessed for scientific validity before they are used to guide patient treatment in clinical trials.

Being a complex disease that affects millions of people world over, cancer research has assumed great significance. Translational cancer research transforms scientific discoveries in the laboratory into clinical application to reduce incidence of cancer, morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, personalized medicine in cancer is the concept that selection of a treatment should be tailored according to the individual patient’s specific genomic characteristics, including mutations, chromosomal aberrations, protein interactions, and SNPs, and even more, taking into account the inmume system, the metabolism and maybe in the next future also the microbiome.

A reflection of the explosion of research and development in this field, OMICS: Biomedical Perspectives and Applications explores applications of omics in bioinformatics, cancer research and therapy, diabetes research, plant science, molecular biology, and neurosciences. A select editorial panel of experts discusses their cutting edge omics research and novel technologies, supplying a basic platform of methods and applications and a resource for enhanced cross-pollination in a multiomics approach to future endeavors in the fertile fields of omics research. After an introduction on the omics universe, the book presents modern omics and its applications in nanotechnology, genomics, proteomics, metagenomics, toxicogenomics, immunomics, nutrigenomics, diabetes, neurology, cardiology, and cancer to name just a few. The book begins with an overview of omics and omic technologies such as cellomics, glycomics, and lipidomics. It also discusses bioinformatics, demonstrating how it can be a tool in omics, and examines the various approaches of omics technology in toxicology research and applications in biomedical sciences. While there are a long list of omics books available, most focus narrowly on one area. Presenting a wide view of the current status of integrative omics, this resource contains complete coverage of omics in research and therapy, ranging from neuroscience to cardiology. It collates recent developments in the field into a state-of-the-art framework for this discipline.

Multisource heterogenous omics data can provide unprecedented perspectives and insights into cancer studies, but also pose great analytical problems for researchers due to the vast amount of data produced. This Research Topic aims to provide a forum for sharing ideas, tools and results among researchers from various computational cancer biology fields such as genetic/epigenetic and genome-wide studies.

"Cancer research is at a crossroads. Traditionally, cancer has been thought of as a disease of gene mutation, where the stepwise accumulation of cancer gene mutations is the key, and the identification of common gene mutations has been considered to be essential for diagnosis and treatment. Despite extensive research efforts and accumulated knowledge on cancer genes and pathways, the clinical benefits of this traditional approach have been limited. Recently, cancer genome sequencing has revealed an extensive amount of genetic heterogeneity where the long-expected common mutation drivers have been difficult, if not impossible, to identify. These realities ultimately challenge the conceptual framework of current cancer biology. This book introduces a new concept of genome theory of cancer evolution, in an attempt to unify the field. Many important and representative, but often confusing, questions and paradoxes are critically analyzed. By comparing gene- and genome-based theories, the hidden flaws of many popular viewpoints are addressed. This discussion is intended to initiate a much-needed critical re-evaluation of current cancer research."--

This book concisely describes the role of omics in precision medicine for cancer therapies. It outlines our current understanding of cancer genomics, shares insights into the process of oncogenesis, and discusses emerging technologies and clinical applications of cancer genomics in prognosis and precision-medicine treatment strategies. It then elaborates on recent advances concerning transcriptomics and translational genomics in cancer diagnosis, clinical applications, and personalized medicine in oncology. Importantly, it also explains the importance of high-performance analytics, predictive modeling, and system biology in cancer research. Lastly, the book discusses current and potential future applications of pharmacogenomics in clinical cancer therapy and cancer drug development.