Cell Based Assays Using Ipscs For Drug Development And Testing

The volume presents a variety of protocols that will be useful to researchers working in the field of disease modeling, drug discovery, and the cell biology of various tissues. Chapters in this book cover topics such as requirements and preconditions for using human induced pluripotent cell lines in assay development; the culture of iPSCs and iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes by bioreactor technologies; distinctions between hepatocytes, vascular endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, renal podocytes, and neurons; and high content assays of mitochondrial function and autophagy. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Cell-Based Assay using iPSCs for Drug Development and Testing: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for researchers working in this important and developing field of study.

As the use of high-throughput screening expands and creates more interest in the academic community, the need for detailed reference materials becomes ever more pressing. Cell-Based Assays for High-Throughput Screening: Methods and Protocols aims to fill an important part of this need by providing an easily accessible reference volume for cell-based phenotypic screening. Leading researchers in the field contribute state-of-the-art methods with actionable protocols covering four major areas of study: model biological systems, screening modalities and assay systems, detection technologies, and approaches to data analysis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, each chapter includes a brief introduction to the subject, lists of necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step laboratory protocols, and a Notes section detailing tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and easy-to-use, Cell-Based Assays for High-Throughput Screening: Methods and Protocols presents an overview of relevant approaches, enabling the direct application of existing methods to new discoveries while also inspiring researchers to approach their screening projects in a conceptually modular fashion, enhancing the power to discover through new combinations of existing approaches.

Biological toxins are an important part of our world, a reality with which we need to cope, so in parallel with understanding their mechanisms of action and thereby improving our fundamental knowledge, there are successful efforts to utilize them as therapeutics against some debilitating human and animal diseases. In view of the complexity of different types of biotoxins and the broad range of toxin structure, physiology, utility, and countermeasures including regulatory issues, it was thus aimed to compile a book on biotoxins and bioweapons. This reference work in the Toxinology handbook series gathers together knowledge from around the globe about naturally inspired and manufactured biological weapons. The authors describe how they work; how authorities may detect their presence, prevent their use, and diagnose their impacts; and the means by which medical and paramedical professionals may treat victims. Also described are how they have been used to further our knowledge and what insights they have given us into evolutionary and physiological processes. Finally, it is also discussed how these toxins can be used as therapeutics and what the implications of such therapeutics are to their use as biothreat agents. This volume provides a reference accessible to scientists, educators, and medical experts alike with an interest in biotoxins, focusing on the major toxins used as bioweapons. Regulatory agencies will also benefit from the information provided in this book. Some in the intended audience may need to understand how they elicit their effects and how we can defend ourselves against them. Others may be interested in the sometimes colorful histories that surround this subset of biotoxins that can be and, in some cases, have been used as weapons.

This book covers varied aspects of environmental contaminants and their effect on the living organisms. It addresses the basics of ecotoxicity assessment, interaction of the abiotic or biotic factors with the novel chemical entities, and the fate of the natural organic matter upon interaction with new chemical entities. It further includes models for ecotoxicity studies and high-throughput approaches including OMICS. It provides an overview of the ecological risk assessment, regulatory toxicology guidelines, and possible roadmaps for protection of environmental health. Features: Discusses environmental toxicology facets and their effects on the ecosystem. Provides an introduction of environmental toxicology keeping in view the paradigm shift on entry of novel materials in the environment. Includes bioavailability, bioconcentration, and biomagnification of trophic transfer of pollutants. Covers high-throughput approaches for ecotoxicity assessment. Explores roadmaps for environmental protection and sustainable development. This book is geared toward graduate students and researchers in Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Toxicology, and Ecology.

Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders is the summary of a workshop convened by the IOM Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders to examine opportunities to accelerate early phases of drug development for nervous system drug discovery. Workshop participants discussed challenges in neuroscience research for enabling faster entry of potential treatments into first-in-human trials, explored how new and emerging tools and technologies may improve the efficiency of research, and considered mechanisms to facilitate a more effective and efficient development pipeline. There are several challenges to the current drug development pipeline for nervous system disorders. The fundamental etiology and pathophysiology of many nervous system disorders are unknown and the brain is inaccessible to study, making it difficult to develop accurate models. Patient heterogeneity is high, disease pathology can occur years to decades before becoming clinically apparent, and diagnostic and treatment biomarkers are lacking. In addition, the lack of validated targets, limitations related to the predictive validity of animal models - the extent to which the model predicts clinical efficacy - and regulatory barriers can also impede translation and drug development for nervous system disorders. Improving and Accelerating Therapeutic Development for Nervous System Disorders identifies avenues for moving directly from cellular models to human trials, minimizing the need for animal models to test efficacy, and discusses the potential benefits and risks of such an approach. This report is a timely discussion of opportunities to improve early drug development with a focus toward preclinical trials.

The series Advances in Stem Cell Biology is a timely and expansive collection of comprehensive information and new discoveries in the field of stem cell biology. iPSCs for Modeling Central Nervous System Disorders, Volume 6 addresses how induced pluripotent stem cells can be used to model various CNS disorders. Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into Induced pluripotent stem cells by the expression of specific transcription factors. These cells are transforming biomedical research in the last 15 years. The volume teaches readers about current advances in the field. This book describes the use of induced pluripotent stem cells to model several CNS diseases in vitro, enabling us to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in different CNS pathologies. Further insights into these mechanisms will have important implications for our understanding of CNS disease appearance, development, and progression. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the obtention of induced pluripotent stem cells and their differentiation into several cell types, tissues and organs using state-of-art techniques. These advantages facilitated identification of key targets and definition of the molecular basis of several CNS disorders. This volume will cover what we know so far about the use of iPSCs to model different CNS disorders, such as: Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Schizophrenia, Fragile X Syndrome, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Rett Syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Parkinson`s Disease, Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Anorexia Nervosa, and more. The volume is written for researchers and scientists interested in stem cell therapy, cell biology, regenerative medicine, and neuroscience; and is contributed by world-renowned authors in the field. Provides overview of the fast-moving field of induced pluripotent stem cell technology and its application in neurobiology Covers the following CNS diseases: Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Schizophrenia, Fragile X Syndrome, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Rett Syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Parkinson`s Disease, Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Anorexia Nervosa, and more Contains description of cutting-edge research on the development of disease-specific human pluripotent stem cells. These cells allow us to study cellular and molecular processes involved in several CNS human diseases

A discussion of all the key issues in the use of human pluripotent stem cells for treating degenerative diseases or for replacing tissues lost from trauma. On the practical side, the topics range from the problems of deriving human embryonic stem cells and driving their differentiation along specific lineages, regulating their development into mature cells, and bringing stem cell therapy to clinical trials. Regulatory issues are addressed in discussions of the ethical debate surrounding the derivation of human embryonic stem cells and the current policies governing their use in the United States and abroad, including the rules and conditions regulating federal funding and questions of intellectual property.