News Release

Biochemistry of human physiology in health and disease is focus of updated clinical text

Book Announcement

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Clinical Biochemistry

image: The cover of "Clinical Biochemistry." view more 

Credit: Scion Publishing

COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Nov. 4, 2008) – To intelligently perform laboratory methods in the investigation and diagnosis of disease, a solid understanding of the biochemistry behind the diseases and methods is required. The second edition of a leading book that describes the biochemical and physiological fundamentals needed in a clinical setting, Clinical Biochemistry, was recently released by Scion Publishing (www.scionpublishing.com).

The book was written by Richard Luxton, a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Chemistry at the University of the West of England (Bristol, U.K.) and is aimed at biomedical students with no previous experience in biochemistry. "This text gives a sufficiently broad introduction to the subject of clinical biochemistry so that the student will have the necessary basic understanding and knowledge to appreciate the role of the clinical biochemistry laboratory in the investigation of disease," wrote Luxton in the Preface to the book.

The book is organized according to six main body functions: input (nutrition and digestion), control (genetic and chemical control of metabolism, and water and electrolyte balance), processing (enzymes in health and disease), transport and storage (plasma proteins, lipids, and blood gases), defense (immunoglobulins and proteins of the innate immune system), and output (liver and kidney function). The text has been substantially revised and updated throughout to incorporate the latest developments in genomics, proteomics, and biosensors.

Each chapter discusses the pathophysiology of a particular body system (how biochemical changes result in disease). Relevant laboratory methods are introduced to show how biochemical changes are measured and how they change during disease. For those who require more details, a list of recommended books and review papers is also provided.

"This is a good basic text which is well written in a manner that is easy to read and understand," said David Cameroon, a Chartered Scientist and Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science who serves as a Specialist Advisor in Clinical Chemistry. "Each chapter sets out clear learning objectives, there are self-check questions throughout to aid the student and good suggestions for further reading . . . [T]his is a value for money text covering the basic essentials of modern clinical biochemistry and it will appeal to all Biomedical Science undergraduates with its soft cover and compact format."

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About the book: Clinical Biochemistry, 2nd edition (©2008, Scion Publishing Ltd.) is 254 pp. in length and is available in paperback (ISBN 9781904842415). It was written by Richard Luxton (University of the West of England). For details about the book, see http://www.scionpublishing.com/9781904842415.

About Scion Publishing Ltd.: Scion Publishing Ltd. is a publisher of innovative textbooks, methods books, and reference titles in the life and medical sciences. Their titles range from undergraduate textbooks and revision guides through to research-based monographs. Visit their website at www.scionpublishing.com to access their line of life science publications.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: CSHL Press, an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media on Long Island, New York, is pleased to market and distribute books for Scion Publishing in the Americas. Since 1933, CSHL Press has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. It is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit www.cshlpress.com.


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