Nucleic Acid Testing For Human Disease

Nucleic Acid Testing for Human Disease describes various techniques including target and signal amplification-based NAT procedures, microarrays, bead-based multiplex assays, in situ hybridization, and SNP techniques. This book discusses RNA expression profiling and laboratory issues such as the need for proper validation of tests intended fo

This book reviews the structure-function relationship of nucleic acids, their role in the pathophysiology of the diseases, and as therapeutic targets for human diseases. The chapters discuss the role of nucleic acids in inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The book also describes recent advancements in nucleic acid-based therapy, the application of nucleic acids in diagnostics, in the development of nano-carriers, logic gates, and sensors. It explores the use of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) as a unique and multifunctional platform for numerous applications, including therapeutics, diagnostics, nanodevices, and materials. It further examines the role of DNA methylation, histone modifiers and readers, chromatin remodelers, microRNAs, and other components of chromatin in the progression of cancer. The book also discusses the applications of nucleic acid as a vaccine and as a gene-editing tool. It also provides an overview of the clinical trials using genome editing platforms for disease treatment and the challenges in implementing the editing technology. Finally, the book elucidates a representative description of challenges associated with nucleic acid-mediated therapy. ​

Providing current information and guidance on the uses of various nucleic acid amplification technologies for clinical laboratory diagnosis, this book goes beyond the Polymerase Chain Reaction to explore a broader range of important alternative DNA/RNA amplification methods including the Ligase Chain Reaction, Q[beta] Replicase Assays and TMA. There are many examples of specific applications of these technologies, discussions of yet unresolved issues and demonstrations of the relevance of these technologies to medical research and disease diagnostics. Individual chapters cover uses of these methods in clinical situations such as detection of food pathogens, viral infections, STDs, Mycobacteria drug resistance mutations, and heritable diseases. Automation, diagnostic test evaluation, and the synthesis of artificial DNA are also discussed. This book is designed for all biomedical scientists interested in the application of molecular biology to clinical diagnosis.

Reviews the basic terminology and techniques of nucleic acid probes, how such probes can be used in the detection and analysis of human genetic disorders, and the impact of this technology on public health care services and on affected individuals and their families. Addresses use of nucleic acid probes in prenatal and carrier detection of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the cystic fibrosis region of chromosome 7, and the fragile X chromosome. Also discusses ethical issues raised by use of this technology, the role of regulatory agencies, and the establishment of a centralized DNA-based genetic reference laboratory.

The aim of molecular diagnostics is preferentially to detect a developing disease before any symptoms appear. There has been a significant increase, fueled by technologies from the human genome project, in the availability of nucleic acid sequence information for all living organisms including bacteria and viruses. When combined with a different type of instrumentation applied, the resulting diagnostics is specific and sensitive. Nucleic acid-based medical diagnosis detects specific DNAs or RNAs from the infecting organism or virus and a specific gene or the expression of a gene associated with a disease. Nucleic acid approaches also stimulate a basic science by opening lines of inquiry that will lead to greater understanding of the molecules at the center of life. One can follow Richard Feynman’s famous statement “What I cannot create, I do not understand.”

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most sensitive method for revealing the presence of otherwise undetectable quantities of the genome of RNA or DNA of human viruses. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for Human Viral Diagnosis addresses the urgent need to use this revolutionary technology in reference and routine diagnostic laboratories. It informs the molecular biologist of the most appropriate clinical uses for PCR and educates the clinician and medical virologist about the subtleties and benefits of gene amplification. The reader is given an understanding and appreciation of the principles of PCR and how, why, and where it should be applied. The book explains the principles behind PCR and its role in the diagnostic and public health laboratory. The application of PCR to the detection and investigation of viral latency and persistence is presented by the originators of in situ amplification. There are individual contributions from experts in their respective fields on the detection, characterization, and analysis by PCR of gastroenteritis viruses, hepatitis viruses, herpesviruses, rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, flaviviruses, polyomaviruses, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I and II); and measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, rabies, and B19 viruses.

Nucleic Acid Testing for Human Disease describes various techniques including target and signal amplification-based NAT procedures, microarrays, bead-based multiplex assays, in situ hybridization, and SNP techniques. This book discusses RNA expression profiling and laboratory issues such as the need for proper validation of tests intended fo

The aim of molecular diagnostics is preferentially to detect a developing disease before any symptoms appear. There has been a significant increase, fueled by technologies from the human genome project, in the availability of nucleic acid sequence information for all living organisms including bacteria and viruses. When combined with a different type of instrumentation applied, the resulting diagnostics is specific and sensitive. Nucleic acid-based medical diagnosis detects specific DNAs or RNAs from the infecting organism or virus and a specific gene or the expression of a gene associated with a disease. Nucleic acid approaches also stimulate a basic science by opening lines of inquiry that will lead to greater understanding of the molecules at the center of life. One can follow Richard Feynman’s famous statement “What I cannot create, I do not understand.”