Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential dietary compound with myriad metabolic and regulatory functions. Deficiency can result in vision problems, compromised immune responses, and a host of other medical issues. More than 600 carotenoids have been identified in plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria, and around 50 carotenoids--including β-carotene--can be converted into vitamin A. Carotenoids and Vitamin A in Translational Medicine reviews the medical use of carotenoids and vitamin A in cancer; diseases of the skin, eye, ear, and lung; and inflammatory bowel and metabolic diseases. It also discusses the analytics of carotenoids and the supply of carotenoids and vitamin A in developing countries.
Serving a broad community of researchers and practitioners conducting basic and clinical analysis on carotenoids and vitamin A for medical purposes, the book evaluates basic research, epidemiological studies, and clinical trials in the field. It updates information on the worldwide problem of vitamin A deficiency and discusses extensively the pros and cons of carotenoid supplementation in cancer. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the efforts made in the field of carotenoid research with respect to translational medicine and present the future outlook on carotenoids as new therapeutic agents.
It is the editors' intent through the contributions in this volume to expand this important discussion on therapeutic approaches using carotenoids and retinoids. In doing so, they hope to enhance the quality of research which brings safe, effective, and clinically proven medicines to patients.
Olaf Sommerburg works as a senior physician in the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergology at the University Children's Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. He is also a clinical researcher and involved as principal investigator in the Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (member of the German Lung Research Center, DZL). Dr. Sommerburg started his scientific career 20 years ago with research in the fields of oxidative stress and antioxidants. He has over 15 years of experience working with carotenoids and carotenoid cleavage products. He connects basic research with clinical questions and is currently involved in different clinical and translational research projects. In the last decade, he has worked successfully on projects on ophthalmology, nephrology, and pulmonology. He has published more than 60 scientific articles and book chapters.
Werner Siems serves as director of KortexMed Institute of Medical Education in Bad Harzburg, Germany and of the Research Institute of Physiotherapy and Gerontology at KortexMed. Dr. Siems has over 30 years of experience in clinics, especially orthopedics, education, and applied biochemical research, as well as in managing educational institutions. He is researcher on the fields of oxidative stress, aging, renal disease, and lymphoedema. He serves on several professional and scientific societies dedicated to lipid peroxidation and cardionephrology. He is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals, has published more than 300 scientific articles and book chapters, and has edited and co-edited nine books. Siems is also an active member of the Academy of Sciences, New York.
Klaus Kraemer is the director of Sight and Life, a humanitarian nutrition think tank that tries to improve the nutritional status of the world's most vulnerable populations. It guides original nutrition research, disseminates its findings, and facilitates dialogue to bring about positive change. Dr. Kraemer has over 25 years of experience in research and advocacy in the field of health, bioavailability, and safety of vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids. He is editor of Sight and Life magazine, one of the most widely distributed scientific magazines on micronutrients and nutrition in the developing world. He also serves on several professional societies dedicated to nutrition, vitamins, and antioxidants. He is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals, has published many peer-reviewed scientific articles, and has co-edited nine books.
