Tumor Angiogenesis From Molecular Mechanisms to Targeted Therapy

Covering one of the most important research topics in cancer biology, this is an ideal ready reference for oncologists, cell biologists, pharmaceutists, pathologists, molecular biologists, internists, and researchers working in the pharmaceutical industry. Following an introduction that provides an overview of tumor angiogenesis, the book goes on to look at mechanisms of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, signal transduction, therapeutic approaches in combination with established treatments, and concludes with a section on imaging and biomarkers in angiogenesis.

Francis S. Markland is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. He obtained his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 1964 and did his early training at UCLA. Dr. Markland has been characterizing snake venom proteins and examining their therapeutic potential for a number of years. Most recently he and members of his laboratory have been studying the anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor properties of a peptide (member of the disintegrin class) purified from southern copperhead venom; a modified version of this peptide and other structurally related disintegrins are now being produced by recombinant technology. The translational potential of these peptides is presently being examined.
Stephen Swenson is an Assistant Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of Hawaii in 1995. For his postgraduate training he joined the Markland laboratory working on the characterization and evaluation of direct acting thrombolytic enzymes from snake venom. Recently Dr. Swenson has been pursuing the development of an anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic agent based on snake venom disintegrins and disintegrin domains of human ADAM proteins.
Radu Minea is a Senior Research Associate in the Markland laboratory at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. He obtained an MD degree from the Carol Davila School of Medicine in Bucharest, Romania in 1993 and did his residency in general surgery in Bucharest. Dr. Minea joined the Markland laboratory in 2002 and his research involved the recombinant production of disintegrins for which he conceived a unique approach designed to successfully address the complex folding issues of this promising class of polypeptides. His current research interest is aimed at exploring the translational potential of recombinant disintegrins and their novel clinical applications.