Nucleic Acid Biology and its Application in Human Diseases

This book reviews the structure-function relationship of nucleic acids, their role in the pathophysiology of the diseases, and as therapeutic targets for human diseases. The chapters discuss the role of nucleic acids in inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The book also describes recent advancements in nucleic acid-based therapy, the application of nucleic acids in diagnostics, in the development of nano-carriers, logic gates, and sensors. It explores the use of nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) as a unique and multifunctional platform for numerous applications, including therapeutics, diagnostics, nanodevices, and materials. It further examines the role of DNA methylation, histone modifiers and readers, chromatin remodelers, microRNAs, and other components of chromatin in the progression of cancer. The book also discusses the applications of nucleic acid as a vaccine and as a gene-editing tool. It also provides an overview of the clinical trials using genome editing platforms for disease treatment and the challenges in implementing the editing technology. Finally, the book elucidates a representative description of challenges associated with nucleic acid-mediated therapy.

Dr. Subhrangsu Chatterjee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute. He had received his Doctoral degree in nucleic acid structure and dynamics from the Department of Organic and Biochemistry, Uppsala University, Sweden. Later, he continued his post-doctoral research in the field of Protein chemistry at the University of Alberta.

In the last 10 years, he has established much interesting work on nucleic acid structure and functions and published high-impact research and reviews covering a broad international readership. His research team works on basic biology and translational biology, which can generate newer gene/protein-directed therapeutics for the next generation treatment against Cancer and Diabetes. He has also published more than 70 high-impact research articles in peer-reviewed international journals.

Dr. Samit Chattopadhyay is a Senior Professor and Chair-Professor in the Department of Biological Science, BITSGoa. He was the Former Director of CSIR IICB, Kolkata. He received his doctoral degree in the field of Biochemistry from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He did his postdoctoral research in Chromatin and Transcription Biology from the University of Connecticut and MIT, Boston.

He is a member of many international scientific societies and organizations like The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Sir J C Bose National Fellow, DST, Fellow of Indian National Science Academy (FNA), Fellow of Academy of Science (FASc), Bangalore, Fellow of National Academy of Science (FNASc), Fellow of West Bengal Academy of Sciences-WAST (FAScT) and Fellow of Maharashtra Academy of Science (FMASc). His research field covered the molecular basis of gene regulation and epigenetics in cancers and other immunological diseases. His research interest also spans the role of nuclear matrix proteins in DNA damage repair, Alternative Splicing, the role of miRNA in cancer, and other diseases, etc.   He has published more than 110 high-impact international papers in journals with more than 4000 citations. He is also the reviewer of few journals like Virology, Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Cell Biology International, Elsevier, International Journal of Cancer, Journal Bioscience, International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, FEBS Journal, PloS journals, Scientific Reports, etc.