The ninth edition of Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons, as in previous editions, is meant primarily as a text for, or an adjunct to, graduate courses in toxicology. Because the eight previous editions have been widely used in courses in environmental health and related areas, an attempt has been made to maintain those characteristics that will again provide information on the many facets of toxicology, especially the principles, concepts, and modes of thoughts that are the foundation of the discipline. Mechanisms of toxicity are emphasized. Research toxicologists will find this book an excellent reference source to find updated material in areas of their special or peripheral interests.
The overall framework of the ninth edition is similar to that of the previous editions. The seven units are General Principles of Toxicology (Unit I), Disposition of Toxicants (Unit II), Non-Organ-Directed Toxicity (Unit III), Target Organ Toxicity (Unit IV), Toxic Agents (Unit V), Environmental Toxicology (Unit VI), and Applications of Toxicology (Unit VII).
This edition reflects the progress made in toxicology during the last few years. The examples are the importance of apoptosis, autophagy, cytokines, growth factors, oncogenes, cell cycling, receptors, gene regulation, protective mechanisms, repair mechanisms, transcription factors, signaling pathways, transgenic mice, knock-out mice, humanized mice, polymorphisms, microarray technology, second-generation sequencing, genomics, proteomics, epigenetics, exposome, microbiota, read across, adverse outcome pathways, high-content screening, computational toxicology, innovative test methods, organ-on-a-chip, etc. in understanding the mechanisms of toxicity and the regulation of chemicals. This edition is markedly updated from the previous edition; over one-third of the chapters in this ninth edition are authored by scientists that have not been previously involved with the textbook. References in this edition include not only traditional journal and review articles, but Internet sites too.