Biotechnology in Surgery

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xviii

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2. The Philosophy of Biotechnology

   • Alfonso Barbarisi

   Pages 1-14

3. New Approach to Diagnosis and Prognosis

   • Paolo Bechi

   Pages 15-40

4. Biomolecular Staging: Reality or Future Perspective?

   • Paolo Bechi

   Pages 41-59

5. Technology for Biotechnology

   • Francesco Rosso, Manlio Barbarisi, Alfonso Barbarisi

   Pages 61-73

6. Regenerative Medicine: Current and Potential Applications

   • Alfonso Barbarisi, Francesco Rosso

   Pages 75-94

7. In Vivo Imaging of Regenerated Tissue: State of Art and Future Perspectives

   • Vincenzo Lionetti, Alessandro Pingitore

   Pages 95-103

8. Biotechnological Approaches to Hemostasis and Molecular Mechanisms of Wound Healing

   • Anna Grimaldi, Francesco Rosso, Alfonso Barbarisi

   Pages 105-114

9. Gene Therapy

   • Arianna Malgieri, Paola Spitalieri, Giuseppe Novelli, Federica C. Sangiuolo

   Pages 115-130

10. Stem Cells

    • Manuela Monti, Carlo Alberto Redi

    Pages 131-149

11. Cancer Stem Cells

    • Marcello Maugeri Saccà, Vito D’Andrea, Angelo Pulcini, Ruggero De Maria

    Pages 151-168

12. Back Matter

    Pages 169-192

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The 20th century has finished, the century when surgery took huge steps forward thanks to progress in technology. Now we have entered the "century of biotechnologies", which will not only generate progress in surgery, but also lead to a real "cultural revolution" that will completely change approaches to solving different problems in medicine. The aim of this book is to bring surgeons closer to biotechnologies and to overcome the cultural gap dividing them from these new approaches. Biotechnologies are already proposed and used at different levels in surgical practice: in diagnostic technique, enabling practitioners to identify diseases at an early stage and follow their molecular modification over time; and in tissue engineering, where the use of "smart scaffolds" offers a possible answer to increasing demand for biocompatible tissues and organs in transplantation surgery. This volume focuses on the emerging field of stem cells, analyzing both their role as possible players in originating and perpetuating cancer – "cancer stem cells" – and, conversely, their extraordinary therapeutical potential. An additional section is dedicated to the evaluation and application of derived molecular factors that can enhance the physiological processes that are fundamentally important in surgery, such as hemostasis and wound healing. Surgeons have always been technologists, in the sense that since surgery began they have always needed technology, beginning with a scalpel and surgical instruments. They have always cooperated with technologists. However, in the new century, the first one of the millennium, a rapid increase in knowledge that is outside the realm of the surgeon’s traditional technological training is imposing itself – hence the aim of this book. It is now urgent to encourage surgeons to embrace this knowledge (biotechnology) with confidence. By its very nature, biotechnology is completely different from the technologies used so far, because it escapesthe senses of sight and touch, which up to now have been the essence of the surgeon’s work. The cellular and molecular dimensions of biotechnologies are still far removed from most of the recent advances in modern surgical techniques. A common language between surgeons and biotechnologists will create further, revolutionary, progress in surgical sciences in the twenty-first century.

• Biotechnology
• cell therapy
• stem cells
• surgery
• surgical biotechnology

• Department of Anesthesiological, Surgical and Emergency Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy

  Alfonso Barbarisi

Prof. Barbarisi is Head of Department of Anaesthesiological, Surgical and Emergency Sciences. He is Director of the IX Division of General Surgery and Biotechnology Applied to Surgery Unit, School of Medicine, Second University of Naples, Italy and President of the European Society of Surgery, President of the Italian Council of Academic Professor of Surgery and President of the Italian Tumor Society

Policies and ethics