Preface

MicroRNAs have been found to be associated with the development and progression of many different diseases and disorders. The increasing effort devoted to understanding the roles of these molecules in the pathophysiology of these conditions, together with identifying specific microRNAs as markers that can improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, and serve as indicators of response to therapy, has provided the impetus for the construction of this book.

It is the goal of this book to provide a forum for clinical experts to present recent data on the design and testing of drugs in relation to microRNAs, including drug targets and response, synthesis of microRNA mimics and inhibitors, preclinical studies, and clinical trials. It also brings together scientific experts to present the state of the art in their fields of health and disease. It is my hope that the topics covered herein will provide new information on the role of microRNAs in diseases and disorders and that this knowledge will lead to a more effective approach and clinical management of these conditions.

I wish to express my deep appreciation to each of the chapter authors for the time and effort spent on writing informative reviews on their respective areas of clinical and research interest. Also I wish to express my gratitude to my co-editors Bridget Martinez, George Calin and Aurora Esquela-Kerscher. Finally, I wish to thank the staff of the Royal Society of Chemistry for their help, support, and patience in the course of putting together this book.

Philip V. Peplow