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Histopathology: A Canvas and Landscape of Disease in Drug and Diagnostic Development

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Molecular Histopathology and Tissue Biomarkers in Drug and Diagnostic Development

Part of the book series: Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology ((MIPT))

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Abstract

The aims of diagnostic and therapeutic development are to accurately diagnose and cure disease, respectively. For the past century and a half, histopathology—the microscopic examination of cells and tissues—has been considered a “gold standard” for the diagnosis of many diseases. As an introduction to this volume on molecular histopathology and tissue biomarkers in drug and diagnostic development, I explore the relationship between histopathology and the nature of disease itself. A lack of agreement on the meaning of “disease” has led to widespread and indiscriminate use of the term. Here, I propose that the term “disease” be reserved for conditions where there exists some knowledge of alterations in cells or their products that participate in cause-effect relationships in lesional (diseased) tissue. This is a definition that simultaneously lends legitimacy to the term’s use while enabling revision and testing of hypotheses based on rapidly emerging scientific knowledge. With this perspective, histopathology, as a preferred means to visualize and depict the cellular events that constitute disease as it impacts tissue structure and function, will remain essential to develop new diagnostic tests and targeted therapies for the foreseeable future.

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Acknowledgements

Duojia Pan, Diego Castrillon, Maureen Miller, Vito Sasseville, Dave Young, Chikwendu Ibebunjo, and the editors are acknowledged for critique and comments. Portions of this chapter were written by the author as part of the medical school pathology course at UT Southwestern Medical School. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Novartis AG and Novartis affiliates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discovery and Investigative Pathology, Preclinical Safety, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Keith A. Wharton Jr. M.D. Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Keith A. Wharton Jr. M.D. Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Keith A. Wharton Jr. M.D. Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Flagship Biosciences, LLC, Westminster, Colorado, USA

    Steven J. Potts

  2. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

    David A. Eberhard

  3. Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Keith A. Wharton, Jr.

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Wharton, K. (2014). Histopathology: A Canvas and Landscape of Disease in Drug and Diagnostic Development. In: Potts, S., Eberhard, D., Wharton, Jr., K. (eds) Molecular Histopathology and Tissue Biomarkers in Drug and Diagnostic Development. Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/7653_2014_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7653_2014_33

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2680-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2681-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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