Book Description

Hormones and Growth Factors in Development and Neoplasia Edited by Robert B. Dickson, Lombardi Cancer Research Center, Georgetown University David S. Salomon, Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, NIH The study of hormones is critical to our understanding of developmental aberrations leading to cancer, and the discovery of polypeptide growth factors has led to profound insights into the duality of control of development and cancer by hormones at the tissue and cellular levels. In this book, leading researchers in the field present a cohesive overview of several important growth factor systems and how they interact with endocrine hormones in the context of tissue-tissue interactions; control of cellular growth, differentiation, and death; and reciprocal control of receptors and ligands at the molecular level. In its first two sections, Hormones and Growth Factors in Development and Neoplasia introduces important growth factors and hormonal systems in invertebrate and amphibian model systems, highlights early evolutionary and developmental functions for the classes of molecules later shown to be important in human cancer, establishes the roles of growth factors and hormones in mammalian development, and focuses on early embryonic events and later events leading to sexual dimorphism. The book's third section discusses in detail the control of postnatal developmental processes in male and female reproductive tracts, focusing on the prostate and mammary glands as well as the female reproductive tract, all of which are of special importance in hormonally driven cancers. Finally, the book takes a direct look at cancers and the molecular mechanisms of hormone-growth factor interactions. Among the many topics covered in this timely volume are: * Ecdysone in development of Drosophila * The progesterone receptor in mammalian development * Regulation of cell survival and apoptosis in the reproductive tracts and the breast * Hormones, growth factors, oncogenes, and prostate cancer With its novel approach, authoritative coverage, and broad scope, Hormones and Growth Factors in Development and Neoplasia is informative and relevant for researchers across a spectrum of disciplines, including cancer research, endocrinology, developmental biology, and cell biology.