Author: F. Cattabeni Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1475715773 Category : Medical Languages : en Pages : 263
Book Description
One of the major advances in the understanding of the mechanism of action of hormones, neurotransmitters and drugs had arisen from the hypothesis that the physiological or pharmacological responses are trig gered by their interaction with specific cell compo nents, termed receptors. However, the presence of receptors has been inferred from indirect data, and only recently has it been possible to study the kinetics of the interaction between drug and receptors directly, through the so called "binding technique. " This NATO-ASI on "Principles and Methods in Receptor Binding" was devoted mainly to the following aspects of the study of receptors: the principles underlying the use of the binding technique; the mathematical models necessary to interpret binding data; the application of binding methods to specific receptors; and, finally, a few selected examples of coupling between receptors and physiological re sponses. In the chapters of this book, special interest is devoted to the analysis of the simplest models for the interaction of receptors with their ligands (either hormones or neurotransmitters or drugs). The graphical techniques used to analyze the data from binding exper iments are extensively discussed, together with the statistics that have to be used in binding analysis. Moreover, the basic concepts to analyze binding data using a personal computer are presented. v vi PREFACE The factors which should be considered when setting up a binding assay (such as choice of ligand and incubation conditions, preparation of tissue, termina tion of incubation) are discussed.
Author: S. C. Sharma Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1468448021 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 417
Book Description
This volume contains summaries of most of the invited presentations at the NATO Advanced Study Institute "Organizing Principles of Neural Development", held in Povoa de Varzim, Portugal, from June 1-12, 1982. The meeting was intended to bring together a select group of investigators to present their views on problems in the field and to foster extensive discussions in smaller groups. It was hoped that such communications would pique curiousity and creativity among the students and thus help in formulating additional hypotheses regarding the type of interactions which might underlie neural development. Despite the wide range of material covered at this institute, a common theme seemed to emerge: at all stages of their develop mental history, the cells of the nervous system interact with previously generated cells (both neurons and non-neurons) as well as with other constituents of the developmental milieu. The pre sentations at this meeting helped in comprehending how a relatively "simple" series of sequential events might provide the necessary information needed to generate the diversity, characteristic of the adult nervous system, without hypothesizing on the existence of specific genes acting to control each step.
Author: Antonio Borsellino Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1461593824 Category : Medical Languages : en Pages : 366
Book Description
This volume or1g1nates from a NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Photoreceptors" dedicated to M.G.F. Fuortes, held in Erice 1-12 July 1981. The lectures given at the course provided a general review of the photoreceptors functions in both vertebrate and inver tebrate eyes. Elaborating on the most recent hypotheses the lec tures also added new and interesting details. In order to preserve the novelty and freshness of the subject matter and thus ensure the usefulness of the volume, the authors in their written contributions emphasize more specific findings of their current research rather than the tutorial nature of the lectures actually presented. The contributors of this volume wish to dedicate their papers to the memory of Mike Fuortes, who has been for many of them an inspiring collegue and friend. Five papers that do not strictly pertain to the topics of the course are also included in the volume, the authors could not attend the meeting, but wanted to contribute an article to this memorial volume.
Author: M. Rene Malinow Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1475717733 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 354
Book Description
The Advanced Study Institute on Regression of Atherosclerotic Lesions, sponsored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was held in Maratea, Italy, September 11-13, 1983. The institute was designed to foster discussion of experimental data on the regression of atherosclerosis in animals and evidence of a similar phenomenon in humans. The participating scientists showed with anatomical and biochemical data, that atherosclerosis regresses in cholesterol fed animals after withdrawal of atherogenic stimuli. The existence of regression in humans was inferred from sequential angiographic visualization of arteries, but anatomical and biochemical characteristics of the process have not been defined. Two mechanisms are probably involved in such an angiographic regression. The first, which may occur when hyperlipidemia is partly or fully corrected or during undernutrition or other metabolic abnormalities, may be related to atherosclerosis changes noted in animals undergoing regression. The second type seems independent of changes in plasma lipid levels and may involve resolution of thrombi or other underlying arterial wall factors. The relative frequencies of the two mechanisms are unknown; whether they can occur simultaneously also warrants consideration. It is likely that an exciting milestone will be forthcoming when regression of atherosclerosis is unequivocally demonstrated in humans. Publication of these institute proceedings constitutes a valuable background for future developments.
Author: Erik De Clercq Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1468447092 Category : Medical Languages : en Pages : 383
Book Description
This pUblication contains the Review Lectures presented at a joint NATO Advanced Study Institute and FEES Advanced Study Course held at Les Arcs, Bourg-8aint-Maurice, France, from the 19th June - 2nd July 1983. The Course, entitled "Targets for the Design of Antiviral Agents" was in some ways a sequel to the NATO-FEES Course held at SOGESTA (near Urbino), Italy from the 7th - 18th May 1979 and published as volume A26 in this series. During the subsequent four years, we have witnessed the first of the "new generation" of antiviral compounds, which are more efficacious and less toxic than the "classical" antiviral drugs, reach the clinic and we felt that it w~s the right time to assess the future prospects of this verY important and exciting field. The vast majority of the drugs developed recently have proved active against various members of the herpesvirus family and elsewhere in this publication we learn that the cure for only rather few viral diseases, such as the common cold, influenza and herpes, promises the return on investment required by the pharmaceutical industry. However, the aim of this Course was for eminent virologists to identify possible targets among the various virus classes against which the chemists could then design suitable therapeutic agents. Recent advances with antiherpesvirus drugs have shown that a far greater selectivity and therapeutic index can be obtained than was previously thought to be possible.
Author: M. A. Ali Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media ISBN: 1461327431 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 856
Book Description
I see a man's life is a tedious one. Cymbeline, Act III, Sc. 6. It is well known that the best way to learn a subject is to teach it! Along the same lines one might also say that a pleasant way of learning a subject and at the same time getting to know quite a few of the workers active in it, is to arrange and to attend an Advanced Study Institute (ASI) or a workshop lasting about two weeks. This was and is the wisdom behind the NA TO-ASI programme and much as people fear that a fortnight may be too long, before it is over everyone feels that it was too short, especially if the weather had cooperated. Organising this ASI which resulted in this volume has been a very good learning experience. I started my career in research with invertebrates and retained an interest in them over the years due to my teaching a course and working sporadically on various aspects of photoreception in Polychaetes, Crustaceans and Insects. Thus, the thought of organising an ASI on photoreception and vision in invertebrates had been brewing in my mind for the past half a dozen years or so. It was felt that it will be desirable to do a bit of stock taking and discuss possible new approaches to the study of this matter.