Neural Surface Antigens

Neural Surface Antigens: From Basic Biology towards Biomedical Applications focuses on the functional role of surface molecules in neural development, stem cell research, and translational biomedical paradigms. With an emphasis on human and rodent model systems, this reference covers fundamentals of neural stem cell biology and flow cytometric methodology. Addressing cell biologists as well as clinicians working in the neurosciences, the book was conceived by an international panel of experts to cover a vast array of particular surface antigen families and subtypes. It provides insight into the basic biology and functional mechanisms of neural cell surface signaling molecules influencing mammalian development, regeneration, and treatments. Introduces early phase clinical trials of neural stem cells Outlines characterization of surface molecule expression and methods for isolation which open unprecedented opportunities for functional study, quantitation & diagnostics Highlights the role of stem cells in neural surface antigen and biomarker analysis and applications

Neuroimmunology, the latest volume in the Contemporary Neurology Series, provides a practical, clinical, and scientific background on a diverse group of neurological disorders in this rapidly expanding field. The book includes chapters on multiple sclerosis and related disorders in adults and children, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and variants, immune-mediated disorders of the neuromuscular junction, inflammatory myopathies, paraneoplastic disorders and autoimmune encephalitities, and neurologic manifestations of systemic immune-mediated diseases. Unique to the work, the authors have included an introductory chapter on the basics of immunology and another on mechanisms of action of therapies used in neuroimmunologic disorders. The clinical chapters cover epidemiology, pathology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology of the different diseases along with clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, differential diagnosis, and treatment. All are presented in an accessible, practical format, making this volume a valuable resource for physicians and other healthcare providers that will care for persons with neuroimmunologic diseases.

Advances in Cellular Neurobiology, Volume 1 discusses the topographical anatomy and functional relation of the brain and spinal cord. This book is divided into three main sections—cell differentiation and interaction, aging and pathology, and methodologies. The topics discussed include specializations of non-neuronal cell membranes in the vertebrate nervous system; effects of neurohormones on glial cells; cerebellar granule cells in normal and neurological mutants of mice; and age-related changes in neuronal and glial enzyme activities. The glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein in normal neural cells and in pathological conditions; in vitro behavior of isolated oligodendrocytes; and biochemical mapping of specific neuronal pathways are also deliberated in this text. This publication is intended for neurologists, but is also beneficial to students researching on the central nervous system.

Neuronal and Glial Proteins: Structure, Function, and Clinical Application focuses on the basic and clinical information relating to a number of proteins that are either enriched in or unique to nervous tissue. This book discusses the structural and functional characteristics of cell-specific proteins, which provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in processes that are specific to glia or neurons. Organized into three sections encompassing 15 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the fundamental principles and strategies involved in studying the anatomical, structural, functional, and immunological aspects of brain protein. This text then discusses the techniques, including the preparation of brain tissues as well as the preparation of neural and glial cells in purified form. Other chapters review the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, which is recognized as a significant technique for discovering brain molecules. The final chapter deals with the membrane-associated nervous system proteins. Neurochemists and clinical researchers will find this book useful.

Current Topics in Developmental Biology

The first edition of Protocols for Neural Cell Culture was published in 1992 and the second edition in 1997. Originally, the publication grew outofprotocols used in the Tissue Culture Course given at the University of Saskatchewan. The course was patterned on those given by the Tissue CultureAssociation, first in Toronto, Canada, in 1948, then in Cooperstown, NY, then Denver, CO, and finally in Madison, WI, where the course ended in 1964. The course in Saskatchewan began in 1963 as a month-long international course that included both animal and plant tissue cultures. Over the years the course underwent specialization, first being limited to animal tissue culture, then to an intensive one-week general course. This led to one-week courses especially designed for tissue culture for the study of cancer or of the cardiovascular or the nervous system. In 1989, the Saskatchewan course became part of the Tissue Culture Training Facility of the Neuroscience Network of the Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence. The course and the Training Facility ceased to exist in 1997. The faculty for the Saskatchewan course was drawn from the best labora tories in the world and laboratory protocols from those centers were thoroughly tested in a student laboratory setting for many years.