The book will present the progress made since the last meeting in fall 2013 concerning the analysis of circulating extra-cellular nucleic acids. There are a modest number of laboratories involved in this field, nevertheless the number of papers published by researchers is extensive. The articles which will be published in this meeting report will be a valuable contribution for researchers and research students alike and will help them to stay on top of the developments in different research areas and to „cross borders“ between them.

DNA and RNA fractions have been isolated from the whole blood, serum, plasma, the surface of blood cells, urine, saliva and spinal fluid from both healthy individuals and clinical patients. Recent developments are presented concerning the isolation, quantification and analysis of these molecules and their use in the identification of specific nucleic acid fragments related to a variety of clinical disorders thereby permitting their early diagnosis and prognosis.

Reliable diagnosis is the cornerstone, starting point, and prerequisite of successful treatment. Therefore, development of innovative diagnostic technologies represents a hot topic in medical research. Liquid biopsy is a novel, minimally invasive laboratory evaluation concept for diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive testing, as well as dynamic monitoring of treatment or disease course. To achieve these goals, a multitude of specific, targeted tests can be performed to detect free nucleic acids, exosomes, microRNAs, tumor-educated platelets, and whole cells of tumor or fetal origin in different biological fluids, including blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and others. Although tissue biopsy has long been considered the gold standard of diagnostics, especially regarding malignant tumors, liquid biopsy has the advantages of a non-invasive approach and thus low risk of complications. It is technically feasible even in serious general status or if tumors or metastases are not easily accessible using conventional tissue biopsy. The testing is fast, exact, and can be repeated to ensure real-time follow-up. In contrast to classic tumor markers, liquid biopsy is distinguished by high specificity at genomic, proteomic, and cellular levels. It is expected to equal and exceed the diagnostic value of tissue biopsy. The field of liquid biopsies is developing rapidly regarding the selection of targets, technological improvements, and quality assessment. This book, written by a global team of recognized scientists, comprises state-of-the-art reviews on the current knowledge and advances in the technologies and software for liquid biopsy. Examples of practical application of liquid biopsy to evaluate thyroid cancer, multiple myeloma, etc. are discussed as well. The book is intended to serve as a reference for scientists and clinicians interested in the development and practical implementation of liquid biopsy.

DNA and RNA fractions can be isolated from a variety of body fluids including whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, saliva and cerebrospinal fluid from both patients and healthy individuals. Such isolates can be exploited in the early detection of clinical disorders, stratification of patients for treatment, treatment monitoring and clinical follow-up. In addition, the use in fetal medicine allows the early detection of fetal sex, Rh factor and aneuploid disorders as well as following both fetal and premature born infant development. This volume is intended as a primer for those who are interested in entering the field of circulating nucleic acids. The areas covered in this volume include: · Background and general biology of circulating nucleic acids · Methodology · Applications of circulating nucleic acids · Quality Assurance · Ethics

Extracellular nucleic acids have recently emerged as important players in the fields of biology and the medical sciences. In the last several years, extracellular nucleic acids have been shown to be involved in not only microbial evolution as genetic elements but also to have structural roles in bacterial communities, such as biofilms. Circulating DNA and RNA have been found in human blood and expected to be useful as non-invasive markers for the diagnosis of several diseases. In addition, extracellular nucleic acids have attracted attention as active modulators of the immune system of higher organisms, including humans. This book covers nearly all of the newly developing fields related to extracellular nucleic acids, including those of basic biology, ecology and the medical sciences, and provides readers with the latest knowledge on them.

Use THE definitive reference for laboratory medicine and clinical pathology! Tietz Textbook of Laboratory Medicine, 7th Edition provides the guidance necessary to select, perform, and evaluate the results of new and established laboratory tests. Comprehensive coverage includes the latest advances in topics such as clinical chemistry, genetic metabolic disorders, molecular diagnostics, hematology and coagulation, clinical microbiology, transfusion medicine, and clinical immunology. From a team of expert contributors led by Nader Rifai, this reference includes access to wide-ranging online resources on Expert Consult — featuring the comprehensive product with fully searchable text, regular content updates, animations, podcasts, over 1300 clinical case studies, lecture series, and more. - Authoritative, current content helps you perform tests in a cost-effective, timely, and efficient manner; provides expertise in managing clinical laboratory needs; and shows how to be responsive to an ever-changing environment. - Current guidelines help you select, perform, and evaluate the results of new and established laboratory tests. - Expert, internationally recognized chapter authors present guidelines representing different practices and points of view. - Analytical criteria focus on the medical usefulness of laboratory procedures. - Use of standard and international units of measure makes this text appropriate for any user, anywhere in the world. - Elsevier eBooks+ provides the entire text as a fully searchable eBook, and includes animations, podcasts, more than 1300 clinical case studies, over 2500 multiple-choice questions, a lecture series, and more, all included with print purchase. - NEW! 19 additional chapters highlight various specialties throughout laboratory medicine. - NEW! Updated, peer-reviewed content provides the most current information possible. - NEW! The largest-ever compilation of clinical cases in laboratory medicine is included with print purchase on Elsevier eBooks+. - NEW! Over 100 adaptive learning courses included with print purchase on Elsevier eBooks+ offer the opportunity for personalized education.

Liquid Biopsy in Urogenital Cancers and Their Clinical Utility presents updated information on liquid biopsy techniques and their utility for diagnosing urological cancers. As a promising and recent diagnostic method, these techniques can be used for identifying tumors at initial stage, thus greatly improving treatment outcomes and survivorship. Chapters provide an overview of liquid biopsy as a new tool for diagnosis, monitoring and personalized medicine in urogenital cancers and explain its applicability in different cancer types, including bladder, prostate, kidney and testis tumors, female genital tract and pediatric urogenital tumors. This is a valuable resource for cancer researchers, oncologists, graduate students, urologists and biomedical researchers who need to understand more about liquid biopsy and its use for urogenital cancers. - Presents an overview on liquid biopsy techniques and their applications in cancer diagnosis - Explains how to extract circulating tumor DNA, RNA and circulating tumor cells and extracellular vehicles from blood samples to identify the urology cancers, including testis, prostate, bladder and kidney - Includes several images and schematic diagrams that illustrate content and facilitate its comprehension

Molecular Pathology of Neoplastic Gastrointestinal Diseases reviews the molecular aspects that characterize the spectrum of neoplastic conditions that affect the gastrointestinal tract, providing the reader with current up-to-date knowledge. For each disease entity chapters provide reviews on: the molecular basis of the individual disease molecular testing approaches currently available or in development for diagnosis or for gene target characterization for selective targeted therapies recommended guidelines for clinical application of molecular tests are included whenever available molecular testing for hereditary predisposition or disease risk animal models and cell culture models of disease