Handbook Of Vascular Biology Techniques

A wide range of research methods for the study of vascular development, from basic laboratory protocols to advanced technologies used in clinical practice, are covered in this work. A range of methodologies such as molecular imaging platforms and signalling analysis, along with tumour models are collated here. Four sections explore in vitro techniques, in vivo and ex vivo manipulations, imaging and histological analysis and other novel techniques in vascular biology. Readers will discover basic methodologies used for analysis of endothelial cell growth in vitro, including co-culture models of vessel formation. Authors also explore isolation and purification of cells and methods for analysis of data and visualization of localized vasculature with modern imaging platforms. Both animal models and human disease are covered in this work. Each chapter contains helpful sections on trouble shooting, additional notes and links, supporting the reader to carry out protocols. This book will appeal to students, researchers and medical professionals working in all vascular-linked fields such as cardio- and cerebrovascular, cancer and dementia.

Over the past decades, the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases have been benefited significantly from intensive research activities. In order to provide a comprehensive “manual” in a field that has become as broad and deep as cardiovascular medicine, this volume of “Methods in Molecular Medicine” covers a wide spectrum of in vivo and in vitro techniques encompassing biochemical, pharmacological and molecular biology disciplines which are currently used to assess vascular disease progression. Each chapter included in this volume focuses on a specific vascular biology technique and describes various applications as well as caveats of these techniques. The protocols included here are described in detail, allowing beginners with little experience in the field of vascular biology to embark on new research projects.

This well-structured textbook offers essential knowledge on the vascular system. The reader will learn the properties, basic cellular mechanisms and development of the different parts of the vascular system (including the heart), gain knowledge on vascular and related diseases, and will be made familiar with common and most current methods and techniques applied to analyze the vascular system in patients, in animal models, and ex vivo. This book is based on a PhD Course for students from various bioscientific backgrounds given at the Medical University of Vienna, and it will be a valuable resource for Master ́s Students in vascular biology and biomedicine in general and a helpful tool for young researchers world-wide wishing to gain or refresh their knowledge in this field.

Angiogenesis, the growth of blood vessels from an existing vasculature, can occur by sprouting from preexisting vessels or by vessel splitting (intussusception). Pathological angiogenesis drives choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age related macular degeneration (AMD) which is commonly restricted under the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), called occult CNV, but may also involve vessels penetrating through the RPE into the sub-retinal space. Pathological vessels are poorly developed, insufficiently perfused and highly leaky, phenotypes that are considered to drive disease progression and lead to poor prognosis. Currently, a number of anti-angiogenic drugs exists, the majority of which target vascular endothelial factor (VEGF), but although they often are highly beneficial for treating eye diseases in the short-term, they are generally of limited efficacy in other diseases such as cancer, and also have poorer efficacy when used for treatment of eye diseases in the long-term. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying pathological angiogenesis can generate new targets for treatment leading to development of better drugs for cancer and retinopathies, but perhaps also other angiogenesis-dependent diseases, in the future. In this thesis mechanisms involved in developmental angiogenesis or pathological angiogenesis in the choroid, cornea or melanoma was identified. These findings highlight the need to further elaborate our knowledge related to angiogenesis in different tissues/conditions for a more targeted, and potentially effective treatment of diseases in the future. In paper I, we for the first time identified the choriocapillaries (CCs) in adult zebrafish and found that occult CNV could be induced by exposing the fish to severe hypoxia. Interestingly, we found that occult CNV relied on intussusception, involving not only de novo generation of intussusceptive pillars but also a previously poorly understood mechanism called pillar splitting. This involved HIF-VEGF-VEGFR2 signaling and evidence that this also occurred in both rats and humans suffering from AMD suggested that the mechanism was conserved and clinically relevant. In contrast, we found in paper II that the development of CCs in the zebrafish relies on sprouting angiogenesis, involve continuous remodeling, and delayed maturation of the vasculature in 2D. The initial development was found to occur by a unique process of tissuewide synchronized vasculogenesis. As expected, VEGFA via VEGFR2 was also critical for the development of these vessels in the zebrafish embryo, but surprisingly this was independent on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1. Inflammatory nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) signaling is involved in the progression of angiogenesis, but this signaling pathway has mainly been studied in the inflammatory cells and the role of NF-kB in the endothelial cells during angiogenesis is poorly understood. In paper III, we found that blocking NF-kB signaling using a specific IKK2 blocker IMD0354, specifically blocks pathological as well as developmental angiogenesis by targeting endothelial cell NF-kB signaling in the endothelial cells. Using a rat model for suture-induced corneal neovascularization, IMD0354 treatment lead to reduced production of inflammatory C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) and VEGF, and thereby reduced pathological corneal angiogenesis in this model. Using the zebrafish tumor xenograft model in paper IV, we found an association between Microphthalmia associated transcription factor (MITF) and pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF), which was involved in pathological tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Similarly, in paper V we used zebrafish transplantation models to study and investigate the use of biocompatible polymers for the delivery of pro-angiogenic FGF-2 as a potential treatment strategy for ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI). Conclusively, this thesis provides new insights into diverse fields of angiogenic assays using zebrafish, and reveals new mechanisms of angiogenesis in health and disease. This work will hopefully provide a foundation for further studies into occult CNV related to AMD, a process that has not been possible to study previously in pre-clinical models. In addition, zebrafish xenograft or other transplantation models used in this work will likely be important to study cancer biology and to develop more attractive pharmaceutical preparations based on biocompatible hydrogels formulated as microspheres in the future.

The Oxford Textbook of Vascular Surgery draws on the expertise of over 130 specialist contributors to encompass the field of vascular surgery. Through the use of figures, findings of contemporary trials, and additional online content, this textbook is an excellent study material for surgical trainees entering their final two years of training, in addition to serving as an effective reference source for practicing surgeons. This volume discusses the epidemiology, vascular biology, clinical features and management of diseases that affect the vasculature and contains dedicated chapters which address topics such as paediatric surgery, damage control surgery, and amputations. The text follows a logical framework which complements the published Intercollegiate Surgery Curriculum making it particularly useful in preparation for the Intercollegiate Examination. The online version of The Oxford Textbook of Vascular Surgery is free for twelve months to individual purchasers of this book and contains the full text of the print edition, links to external sources and informative videos demonstrating current surgical techniques, making this a valuable resource for practicing surgeons. The field of vascular surgery has advanced rapidly in recent years and has expanded to include the techniques of interventional radiology and cardiology which are also extensively covered in this volume, making it an authoritative modern text. By combining contemporary evidence-based knowledge with informative figures, online resources and links to the current training curriculum, The Oxford Textbook of Vascular Surgery is a highly valuable source of information and will become the standard reference text for all who study vascular disease and its treatment.

Functional Foods in Cancer Prevention and Therapy presents the wide range of functional foods associated with the prevention and treatment of cancer. In recent decades, researchers have made progress in our understanding of the association between functional food and cancer, especially as it relates to cancer treatment and prevention. Specifically, substantial evidence from epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies show that various food components may alter cancer risk, the prognosis after cancer onset, and the quality of life after cancer treatment. The book documents the therapeutic roles of well-known functional foods and explains their role in cancer therapy. The book presents complex cancer patterns and evidence of the effective ways to control cancers with the use of functional foods. This book will serve as informative reference for researchers focused on the role of food in cancer prevention and physicians and clinicians involved in cancer treatment. Discusses the role of functional foods in cancer therapy Presents research-based evidence of the role of herbs and bioactive foods in cancer treatment and prevention Provides the most current, concise, scientific information regarding the efficacy of functional foods in preventing cancer and improving the quality of life Explores antioxidants, phytochemicals, nutraceuticals, herbal medicine and supplements in relation to cancer prevention and treatment Contains a clinical approach to the use of functional foods to prevent and treat cancer Emphasizes the role and mechanism of functional foods, including the characterization of active compounds on cancer prevention and treatment

"This book includes state-of-the-art methodologies that introduce biomedical imaging in decision support systems and their applications in clinical practice"--Provided by publisher.

This textbook provides a broad introduction to continuous and discrete dynamical systems. With its hands-on approach, the text leads the reader from basic theory to recently published research material in nonlinear ordinary differential equations, nonlinear optics, multifractals, neural networks, and binary oscillator computing. Dynamical Systems with Applications Using Python takes advantage of Python’s extensive visualization, simulation, and algorithmic tools to study those topics in nonlinear dynamical systems through numerical algorithms and generated diagrams. After a tutorial introduction to Python, the first part of the book deals with continuous systems using differential equations, including both ordinary and delay differential equations. The second part of the book deals with discrete dynamical systems and progresses to the study of both continuous and discrete systems in contexts like chaos control and synchronization, neural networks, and binary oscillator computing. These later sections are useful reference material for undergraduate student projects. The book is rounded off with example coursework to challenge students’ programming abilities and Python-based exam questions. This book will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, applied mathematicians, engineers, and researchers in a range of disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, computing, economics, and physics. Since it provides a survey of dynamical systems, a familiarity with linear algebra, real and complex analysis, calculus, and ordinary differential equations is necessary, and knowledge of a programming language like C or Java is beneficial but not essential.