The Dawn of Human Genetics

In the 1920s, the groundwork was laid for a uniquely Russian approach to medical genetics and the foundation of the world’s leading center for the study of the genetic basis of many diseases and human genetics in general. The immense success of the movement, which is little known even to Russians, is brought to life in V.V. Babkov’s The Dawn of Human Genetics, as is its dramatic and violent end, which resulted in the “liquidation” of many of the country’s finest biologists, as well as a major setback to the development of world science.

Immune Tolerance

Written and edited by experts in the field, this work reviews how self-tolerant T- and B-cell populations are produced. The contributors discuss the elimination of autoreactive lymphocytes during their development in the thymus and bone marrow, the suppression of autoreactive cells by regulatory T cells in the periphery, and intrinsic mechanisms that produce clonal anergy. The roles of dendritic cells in antigen presentation and mechanisms that prevent autoreactivity in natural killer cells are also covered. Including discussions of autoimmune diseases, their genetic bases, and therapeutic strategies, this volume is a valuable reference for all immunologists and clinicians wishing to understand or develop treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Mammalian Development: Networks, Switches, and Morphogenetic Processes

This book provides a contemporary overview of the conceptual framework of molecular and cellular mechanisms of mammalian development, and a glimpse into future directions in mammalian developmental biology and its relevance to cellular and tissue therapy. Major areas of focus are transcriptional and epigenetic switches and the activity of genetic networks in cell differentiation, the role of signaling pathways, and tissue modeling and organ formation. Another major focus is on the translation of basic knowledge of developmental processes into stem cell biology, directed differentiation of pluripotent or lineage-biased progenitors, and the potential for regenerative medicine.

Hemoglobin and Its Diseases

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This collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine covers all aspects of hemoglobin and its diseases. Contributors examine the structure, expression, and evolution of the globin genes, the assembly of globin subunits into functional forms of hemoglobin, and the numerous variants that result from genetic alterations. The pathophysiological consequences of hemoglobin disorders (e.g., ineffective erythropoiesis and aberrant iron homeostasis), their clinical manifestations, and epidemiological trends are also described. It includes discussions of management and treatment strategies for hemoglobin disorders, such as transfusions, iron-chelating agents, gene therapy, and stem cell transplantation. It is an indispensable reference for biochemists, geneticists, cell and developmental biologists, physiologists, and all who are interested in reducing the medical burden of these common genetic diseases.

A new type of online review journal

• Spanning the complete spectrum of the molecular life sciences

• Article collections that build month by month

• Written and commissioned by experts in each field

Read these essential papers in this month’s issue:

Susan LeDoux reviews the DNA repair pathways that are employed by mitochondria.
DNA molecules in mitochondria, just like those in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, are constantly damaged by noxious agents. Eukaryotic cells have developed efficient mechanisms to deal with this assault. The process of DNA repair in mitochondria, initially believed nonexistent, has now evolved into a mature area of research. In recent years, it has become increasingly appreciated that mitochondria possess many of the same DNA repair pathways that the nucleus does. Read the full text.

Visit here for this month’s complete table of contents and to learn more.

“Synthesis and Structure of Macromolecules, Vol. XXVIII” (CSH Symposium, Vol. XXVIII, 1963)

Jim Watson had early sketched a small diagram in which he suggested the relationship between DNA, RNA and protein synthesis, although the biochemical mechanisms involved were beyond even speculation. (read more)

Hundreds of important advances in biology were announced, debated, and distilled at the Cold Spring Harbor Symposia. These meetings, held each year on the tranquil grounds of one of the world’s leading research institutes, have been notable events in biomedical research since 1933.  Now this essential archive, dating from 1933 to 2003, is available online. Among highly influential volumes is the 1963 meeting “Synthesis and Structure of Macromolecules, Vol. XXVIII”, above is an excerpt from the exclusive new online introduction to this volume. (read more)