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Pluripotent stem cells have garnered tremendous interest in recent years, which is primarily driven by the hope of finding a cure for several debilitating human diseases. Cell transplantation (regeneratve medicine) offers considerable therapeutic potential. The procedure employs pluripotent stem cells as these have the inherent ability to reproduce indefinitely and have the ability to produce over 200 different types of cells constituting the human body. The isolation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from embryos and their successful culture in a petri dish in 1998 has been considered as a major breakthrough that is set to shape stem cell research in the 21st century. This has been followed by another remarkable breakthrough in 2006 when scientists demonstrated for the first time that such pluripotent stem cells could be produced from adult somatic tissues without having to use human embryos. These pluripotent stem cells are called the induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Both hESCs and iPS cells - highly versatile cells – could pave the way for alleviating patients suffering from diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and many more. This e-book brings together the information from the last decade on stem cells, compiled by reputed research experts. Readers will learn all aspects of pluripotent stem cells from basic biology to their use in understanding disease process, toxicology, drug discovery and in developing therapeutic strategies. Research on these cells, including transitional and translational aspects, is explained with the aid of extensive figures, colour photographs, and tables. This e-book is a valuable resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, scientists, embryologists, tissue engineers, doctors and biomedical scientists interested in stem cell research and medicine.

The two broad categories of mammalian stem cells exist: embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocysts, and adult stem cells, which are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells are able to differentiate into all of the specialised embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialised cells.As stem cells can be readily grown and transformed into specialised tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture, their use in medical therapies has been proposed. In particular, embryonic cell lines, autologous embryonic stem cells generated therapeutic cloning, and highly plastic adult stem cells from the umbilical cord blood or bone marrow are touted as promising candidates.Among the many applications of stem cell research are nervous system diseases, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases as well as Parkinson's disease, end-stage kidney disease, liver failure, cancer, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Stem cells are self-renewing, unspecialized cells that can give rise to multiple types all of specialized cells of the body. Stem cell research also involves complex ethical and legal considerations since they involve adult, fetal tissue and embryonic sources.This new book presents leading research from around the globe in this radidly-developing field.

Perinatal Stem Cells provides researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive description of the current clinical and pre-clinical applications of stem cells derived from perinatal sources, such as amniotic fluid, placenta and placental membranes, the umbilical cord and Wharton's jelly. It's compiled by leading experts in the field, offering readers detailed insights into sources of perinatal stem cells and their potential for disease treatment. Therapeutic applications of perinatal stem cells include the treatment of in utero and pregnancy related diseases, cardiac disease, liver disease, pulmonary disease, inflammatory diseases, for hematopoietic regeneration, and for neural protection after stroke or traumatic brain injury. In addition, the rapid advance in clinical translation and commercialization of perinatal stem cell therapies is highlighted in a section on Clinical and Industry Perspective which provides insight into the new opportunities and challenges involved in this novel and exciting industry. - Explores current clinical and pre-clinical application of stem cells derived from perinatal sources - Offers detailed insight into sources of perinatal stem cells and their potential for disease treatment - Discusses progress in the manufacturing, banking and clinical translation of perinatal stem cells - Edited by a world-renowned team to present a complete story of the development and promise of perinatal stem cells

For author Don C Reed, father of a paralyzed son, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is the greatest medical advance since penicillin.REVOLUTIONARY THERAPIES is Reed's third book about the $3 billion stem cell program.Voted into law in November 2004, CIRM is now running out of money.Should its funding be renewed? Thereby hangs a tale, or rather several dozen of them, for each of the book's 71 short chapters is framed by a yarn or vignette.The factual background is accurate, vetted by the scientists, but Reed's goal is clearly both entertainment and education.A favorite example is a little girl named Evie, imprisoned in a plastic bubble: her body's immune system did not work, and she would die outside. She joined a CIRM clinical trial... Imagine how Evie's parents felt — when she got well.Some stories are comical, like'How Stem Cell Research Saved My Car'; others surprising, like the comparison between politics and the giant crocodile Gustave; others are tragic or inspiring: but all point to this: More than 100 million Americans suffer chronic disease, causing mountains of medical debt — and the only way to reduce that expense ($3 trillion last year) — is cure.Related Link(s)

This book provides an authoritative and comprehensive overview on the ethical issues surrounding the most promising and most controversially discussed topic in modern biotechnology and medicine, stem cell therapy. It is written by a scientist who has been involved in the basic research of stem cell therapy for over 20 years and was part of the initial experimental studies demonstrating benefits and damage repair using stem cells, and who also is a clinical cardiologist involved in the clinical studies of stem cell therapy in patients with mainly cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases from its early stage until now. The book starts with a brief overview of the history of stem cell research, the administrative and regulatory aspects including the federal governmental changes with every political administration over the last 20 years, and the stand of the FDA on research and therapy. It also discusses the issues of medical tourism, patient funded studies, false marketing claims, and the ethical and religious aspects of stem cell research, anti aging research, and immortality research including the Roman Catholic Churches view on embryonic stem cells. Ethics of Modern Stem Cell Research and Therapy will be a valuable resource for clinicians, physicians, and researchers who are looking to either conduct or use stem cell therapies. It offers a one-stop guide to the current regulations of the FDA as well as the potential that stem cell therapies have on many degenerative diseases.

This collection of articles deals with the benefits of different types of stem cells sources, use, manipulation, and aspects for the treatment of chronic diseases. Topics include the role of calcium channel pathways in the regulation of neural stem cell differentiation; the evolutionary roles of the totipotent, pluripotent, or even multipotent stem cells; the derivations of multipotent MSCs; and potential canine-derived stem cell therapies for dogs. The scope of the book also provokes further studies into other topics, such as MSC differentiation into hepatocytes and the involvement of these cells with microRNA-133 in type 1 diabetes; the role of Vitronectin in the differentiation into endoderm; the extent to which the stemness of dental pulp stem cells might be useful; PBMCs as a source for pluripotent stem cells; yoga in possible synergy with the finding that bone marrow stromal cells provide relief from a laboratory reagent used as drug-mediated pain in spinal cord injury.

Phenotyping of Human iPSC-derived Neurons: Patient-Driven Research examines the steps in a preclinical pipeline that utilizes iPSC-derived neuronal technology to better understand neurological disorders and identify novel therapeutics, also providing considerations and best practices. By presenting example projects that identify phenotypes and mechanisms relevant to autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy, this book allows readers to understand what considerations are important to assess at the start of project design. Sections address reproducibility issues and advances in technology at each stage of the pipeline and provide suggestions for improvement. From patient sample collection and proper controls to neuronal differentiation, phenotyping, screening, and considerations for moving to the clinic, these detailed descriptions of each stage of the pipeline will help everyone, regardless of stage in the pipeline. In recent years, drug discovery in the neurosciences has struggled to identify novel therapeutics for patients with varying indications, including epilepsy, chronic pain, and psychosis. Current treatment options for such patients are decades old and offer little relief with many side effects. One explanation for this lull in novel therapeutics is a lack of novel target identification for neurological disorders (and target identification requires exemplar preclinical data). To improve on the preclinical work that often relies on rodent modeling, the field has begun utilizing patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to differentiate neurons in vitro for preclinical characterization of neurological disease and target identification. - Discusses techniques and new technology for iPSC culturing and neuronal differentiation to establish best practices in the lab - Outlines considerations for phenotypic assay development - Provides information about the successes, failures, and implications of phenotyping and screening with iPSC-derived neurons - Describes how human iPSC-derived neurons are being used for preclinical discovery research as well as the development of therapeutics utilizing hiPSC-derived neurons

Is there a way to fight back against'incurable'disease? California thought so — and put its money where its mind was — three billion dollars'worth! And when that was gone, how about five and a half billion dollars more — to build and expand the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine?For some, science excites; it is the great adventure, to challenge the impossible: like a real-life battle with a giant squid, or the proposed disassembly of the Eiffel Tower, or ejecting from a jet in the sky, from a height greater than Mount Everest.For others, regenerative medicine is a mystery — could the urge to do murder have a genetic cause — which might be reduced?And for everyone, there is the fight to protect our loved ones'lives— 133 million of us, suffering from chronic disease — from America alone, a colossal cost of $3 trillion dollars last year.An epic battle,'Science, Politics, Stem Cells and Genes: CALIFORNIA'S WAR ON CHRONIC DISEASE'takes the reader behind the scenes.An award-winning teacher, Reed shares science in stories — including the systematic assault on Alzheimer's disease, cancer, autism, epilepsy, liver failure, schizophrenia, obesity, stroke, sickle cell, arthritis, blindness, paralysis, kidney failure, ALS, aging, and much, much more.Readers can expect a greater understanding of the intricate adventure of stem cell research, as well as the political wrestling it took to make progress possible — that California's effort may benefit the world.From early research to clinical trials, America should take pride in the accomplishments of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.Read on.

Stem Cell Laboratory Techniques: A Guide for Researchers and Students introduces the reader to stem cell culture, handling techniques and versatile applications used by researchers. Sections introduce stem cells, including definitions, types and basic use of stem cells in biomedical science research. The book explains laboratory procedures and techniques ranging from the extraction of stem cells from animals, cell seeding and culture, harvest and maintenance of stem cells, stem cell characterization, accurate recording, quality control, and more. In addition, it guides researchers on topics such as transcriptome analysis, proliferation study analysis, and microphysiological study. Final sections cover useful and recent applications in stem cells, such as gene editing techniques and the preparation of stem cells for in vitro study, as well as stem cell lab design and equipment used in the lab. Lastly, human and animal research ethics are discussed. - Introduces readers to the stem cell culture and moves to handling techniques and versatile applications - Includes coverage of gene editing techniques for stem cells and stem cells for in vitro study - Presents stem cell lab design and equipment used in the lab

This handbook presents information on different cell culture assays which can be used to perform experimental analysis. Readers are introduced to the basics of in vitro cell cultures followed by a comparative analysis of different experimental protocols d

This book explores the new ways in which biology is becoming technology. The revolutionary iPS cell technology has made it possible to turn human skin and blood cells into pluripotent stem cells, thus providing an unprecedented opportunity to study the pathophysiology of diseases, understand human developmental biology, and generate new therapies. Drawing from a rich ethnographic study, Meskus traces the making of the iPS cell technology through the perspectives of clinical translation, laboratory experimentation, and tissue donation by voluntary patients. Discussing non-human agency, the embodied and affective basis of knowledge production, and the material politics of science, the book develops the idea of an instrumentality-care continuum as a fundamental dynamic of biomedical craft. This continuum, Meskus argues, opens up a novel perspective to the commercialization and industrial-scale appropriation of human biology, and thereby to the future of ethical biomedical research.

'An engrossing read that is hard to put down and packed with insights blend history and the latest research with broader examination of stem cell potentials to change not only health conditions, but society as a whole. No collection covering stem cell advancements should be without this hard-hitting examination that uses California's results as a foundation for considering stem cell's special promises and powerful obstacles to success.'Midwestern Book ReviewThirteen years ago, America faced an epidemic of chronic disease: cancer, paralysis, blindness, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and more.But California voters said'YES!'to a $3 billion stem cell research program: the awkwardly-named California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Born into battle, the scrappy little state agency was immediately blocked by three years of anti-science lawsuits — but it defeated them all. And then?A quiet triumph. With a focused intensity like the Manhattan Project (but for peaceful purposes, not to build a bomb), scientists funded by CIRM took on the challenges: disease and disability called chronic: incurable.In a series of connected stories, accurate though written to entertain,'California Cures'relates a war: science against disease, with lives on the line. Think what it means for a paralyzed young man to recover the use of his hands, or for a formerly-blind mother to see her teenaged children — for the first time!Do you know the'bubble-baby'syndrome? Infants without a proper immune system typically die young; a common cold can kill. But for eighteen babies in a stem cell clinical trial, a different future: they were cured of their disease.No one can predict the pace of science, nor say when cures will come; but California is bringing the fight. The reader will meet the scientists involved, the women and men behind the microscope, and share their struggle.Above all,'California Cures'is a call for action. Washington may argue about the expense of health care (and who will get it), but California works to bring down the mountain of medical debt: stem cell therapies to ease suffering, and save lives.Will California build on success — and invest $5 billion more in stem cell research?'We have the momentum', says author Don C Reed,'We dare not stop short. Chronic disease threatens everyone — we are fighting for your family, and mine!'

This publication is based upon work from COST Action'16203 MARISTEM Stem cells of marine/aquatic invertebrates: from basic research to innovative applications', supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.www.cost.eu Aquatic invertebrates represent the largest biodiversity and the widest phylogenetic radiation on Earth, with more than 2 million known species. Up until a few years ago, their use as model organisms in biological research was limited by the paucity of omics data. Recently, the situation has rapidly changed and is still changing. Today, the genomes and various transcriptomes of many aquatic invertebrate species, as well as many recombinant proteins of invertebrate origin, are available. New technologies have revolutionized the available toolbox of research methodologies. This explains the rising interest of researchers in the use of aquatic invertebrates as reliable model organisms.In contrast to the prevalence of diverse oligopotent and unipotent stem cells in vertebrates, aquatic invertebrates (especially non-ecdysozoan invertebrates) exhibit multiple adult cell types with stem cellattributes characterized by multipotency and pluripotency; furthermore, these give rise to cell lineages characteristic of more than a single germ layer, sometimes with somatic and germ line potentials. In addition, unlike vertebrates, aquatic invertebrate adult stem cells are disseminated and widespread inside the animal body, are not associated with a regulatory microenvironment (niche) and do participate in aging and regeneration phenomena. These properties can help us to better understand the processes and phenomena in mammalian stem cell biology, such as natural chimerism and cancer, aging and senescence, immunity and autoimmune responses, which are all difficult to explain or understand in the human context.The COST Action 16203 MARISTEM'Stem cells of marine/aquatic invertebrates: from basic research to innovative applications'started in 2017 with the aim to foster the knowledge of the biology of aquatic invertebrates stem cells and strengthen the European community of researchers on aquatic invertebrate stem cells in order to build innovative ideas relevant to various biomedical disciplines. This book represents one of the deliverables of the Action and collects part of the materials produced during the past 3 years within the network as a tool to disseminate and render available what has been achieved up to now. We hope that this book will be useful to scientists interested in stem cells of non-model organisms, with particular reference to aquatic invertebrates.

Magdaleen Verster probeer die stukke van haar lewe optel na die dood van haar tweelingsuster, Misha. Wanneer sy'n onwaarskynlike vriendskap met'n eksentrieke wetenskaplike smee, bevind sy haar in die opwindende maar omstrede wêreld van stamselnavorsing. Sy kan haar suster nie terugbring nie, tog kan sy moontlik'n verskil aan ander se lewens maak. Maar alles kom teen'n prys. En soms is die prys van een mens se lewe'n ander mens se dood.

The general scope of the book is the patentability and morality of human embryonic stem cell research in US, EU and China. The book observes fraudsters operate unsafe human embryonic stem cell therapies and officialdom turns a blind eye to the immoral human embryonic stem cell research in China. The book highlights that both patent control and federal funding control are inefficient and ineffective way to monitoring human embryonic stem cell research. The book finally proposed an approach for china to regulating human embryonic stem cell research-regulating research itself at the reconciled international regime. The potential reader includes academics and practitioners dealing with intellectual property, patent law and stem cell inventions. The topic discussed will also be interesting to a broad readership, including experts, regulators, policy makers and medical researchers in both ethical and legal disciplines in the field of embryonicstem cell research.

Stem cells, particularly pluripotent stem cells, hold significant promise for developing therapies for diseases and disorders for which there are no current treatments and for regenerating human cells, tissues, and possibly even organs. However, to be able to translate stem cell research into therapies, researchers must first address many scientific, ethical, and regulatory hurdles. The need for researchers and sponsors to demonstrate progress and the hopes of patient groups for new therapies have pressured researchers to move quickly into clinical trials and encouraged the opening of clinics offering unproven and unapproved stem cell treatments. This book tells the story of the development of the field, and identifies the ethical issues and challenges stem cell translation raises. It will be of interest to ethicists, scientists, and regulators working in the stem cell field, as well as the general reader following scientific developments.

This multi-disciplinary book presents the current state of stem cell science in society, twenty years on from the first cultivation of human embryonic stem cells and ten years after the invention of genetically altered human stem cells. The once specialist field has morphed into a billion-dollar global endeavor. An array of applications has developed in the context of a growing bioeconomy that is highly dependent on patient donations, consumers and industrial support. The landscape of promises, problems and practices now forms a flexible matrix of intersecting agencies. This volume engages with normative, conceptual and infrastructural issues of this matrix, combining perspectives from scientists, social scientists, philosophers and ethicists. Together the chapters give a comprehensive overview of the current condition of stem cell research and its ethical and societal issues. This topical up-to-date volume is a valuable resource for researchers in different fields with the empirical case studies adding to its accessibility as a textbook and for a wider audience.

Noch vor wenigen Jahren standen die vermeintlich schwerwiegenden Risiken der Stammzellforschung für Mensch und Gesellschaft im Fokus der Öffentlichkeit. Heute hingegen wird die Stammzellforschung weitestgehend als eines der fortschrittlichsten und vielversprechendsten biomedizinischen Forschungsfelder präsentiert. Wie lässt sich dieser Paradigmenwechsel erklären? Und was bedeutet er für die ethische, rechtliche und politische Bewertung der Stammzellforschung? °°°°Der Band versammelt einerseits Arbeiten aus dem BMBF-geförderten Forschungsverbund „Multiple Risiken. Kontingenzbewältigung in der Stammzellforschung und ihren Anwendungen“ und andererseits Beiträge ausgewiesener Expertinnen und Experten aus Naturwissenschaft und Medizin, Ethik, Sozial- und Rechtswissenschaften zum Thema Chancen und Risiken der Stammzellforschung sowie politische Handlungsempfehlungen. Die Beiträge analysieren die Darstellung von Nutzen und Risiken in internationalen wissenschaftlichen sowie öffentlichen und rechtlichen Diskursen in verschiedenen Gesellschaftsbereichen.

Stem cell and regenerative medicine research is an important area of clinical research which promises to change the face of medicine as it will be practiced in the years to come. Challenges in the 21st century to combat diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease and retinal disorders, among others, may well be addressed employing stem cell therapies and tissue regeneration techniques. Frontiers in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research is essential reading for researchers seeking updates in stem cell therapeutics and regenerative medicine.This volume includes current literature on a variety of topics:-the utility of exogenous and endogenous neural stem cells in spinal cord injury-somatic cells for human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated cellular signaling for stem cell differentiation-the therapeutic potential of microRNAs in cardiac diseases-stem cell therapy for the treatment of malaria

This volume examines cells set aside during development for use later in ontogeny or in adult life. There is no single term for such cells. The cells explored fall within several major categories — stem cells, set-aside cells (in echinoderm larvae), imaginal discs in insects such as Drosophila, meristems (plants), blastemata (regeneration in amphibians), neoblasts (regeneration in planarians). The book compares and contrasts these cell types and the environments (niches) in which they operate with the aim of unravelling any relationships between them, between their activation in development, and in their evolution.Key Features Explores the nature of deferred-use cells in evolutionary and developmental context. Reviews the mechanisms of development of set-aside cells, such as stem cells, meristems, and imaginal discs. Provides phylogenetic overview of different types of deferred-use cells. Compares and contrasts different theories on the origin of deferred-use cells. Related TitlesCalegari, F. & C. Waskow, eds. Stem Cells: From Basic Research to Therapy (ISBN 978-1-4822-0775-0)Cabral, J. M. S. & C. L. da Silva, eds. Bioreactors for Stem Cell Expansion and Differentiation (ISBN 978-1-4987-9590-6)Kong, H., A. J. Putnam, & L. B. Schook, eds. Stem Cells and Revascularization Therapies (ISBN 978-1-4398-0323-3)Schaffer, D., J. D. Bronzino, & D. R. Peterson, eds. Stem Cell Engineering: Principles and Practices (ISBN 978-1-4398-7204-8)

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Organoid Models, Volume 159 highlights recent and emerging advances that describe organoid differentiation protocols for the different organ systems that implement organoids as tools to understand complexity and maturation, high content drug screening, disease modeling, development and evolution. Specific chapters in this new release include Pluripotent stem cell derived gastric organoids, Pluripotent stem cell derived esophageal organoids, Pluripotent stem cell derived small intestinal organoids, Pluripotent stem cell derived colonic organoids, Pluripotent stem cell intestinal organoids with an Enteric Nervous System, Pluripotent stem cell derived airway organoids, Pluripotent stem cell derived alveolar organoids, and much more. - Provides the first comprehensive collection of pluripotent stem cell derived organoid protocols - Includes cutting-edge methods - Presents methods that generate organoids from many organ systems

This is a one-of-a-kind book: combining easy-to-understand science, in-the-trenches political warfare, and inspirational stories. It aims to give hope to individuals and families who suffer from chronic disease or disability; to point out how ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference in the battle to ease suffering and save lives through supporting medical research; to share in “people talk” some of the amazing progress already achieved in the new field of stem cell research; to show how even such a magnificent success as the California stem cell program is under constant attack from ideological groups; to offer medical research as a force for international cooperation; to suggest how cure research lessens the need for the mountainous costs of endless care.Unparalleled background: the author has been involved in virtually every important stem cell battle (state, national, and international) since embryonic stem cell research began. The author works closely with Robert N. Klein, sponsor of the California stem cell program, the largest source of such stem cell research funding in the world. In addition, the author is an award-winning teacher as well as writer, and seeks to entertain as well as educate. His book is not only substantive, but also fun.The book would be a treasured gift: for anyone suffering an “incurable” illness or who is a caregiver for a loved one; for a college student considering a rewarding career in biomedicine; for scientists who want to protect and enhance their research funding; and for anyone who wants to see government respond to the needs of its citizenry. Chronic disease and disability are a prison: cure is the triumphant escape — wheelchairs should be for temporary occupancy only.

This book is a continuum of the first two books published in the STEM CELLS series entitled'Stem Cells: From Drug to Drug Discovery'and'Stem Cells: From Hype to Real Hope'which were published in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The scope of the book encompasses a wide range of topics with a latitude from adult stem cells to pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine either alone or as part of the combinatorial therapeutic intervention approach as'drug'besides their application as tools (disease model) during drug development process. Written by a leading group of researchers, the book encompasses experimental to clinical aspects of stem/progenitors cells, their biology, and characteristics.

Que signifie « faire de la science »? En tant qu'institution et lieu de production, quel rôle joue la science dans une société où domine le capitalisme industriel? Quelle est la nature de ses relations avec l'industrie, la politique, le monde associatif, l'éthique? Demeure-t-elle un monde à part?À partir d'une enquête qui concerne les recherches sur les cellules souches embryonnaires humaines, mais aussi les biotechnologies en France, ce livre répond à ces interrogations. La première partie s'intéresse au développement de ce nouveau champ de recherche biomédical, des promesses et des politiques scientifiques jusqu'au travail concret de la science. La seconde partie, plus générale, propose une réflexion marxienne pour comprendre le rapport de la science au capitalisme industriel et la place que le travail y tient. Elle conduit à interroger le champ de tensions des valeurs qui circulent hors et dans la science.Cet ouvrage intéressera les décideurs et experts investis dans la gestion de la recherche finalisée. Il s'adresse aussi aux chercheurs en sciences sociales étudiant les relations entre la science et la société. L'ouvrage sera également lu avec intérêt par tout scientifique agissant dans les domaines de la biomédecine et des biotechnologies.

This book contains material contributed by forward-looking scientists who work at the interface of stem cell research and applied science with the aim to improve human fetal safety and the understanding of human developmental and degenerative disorders. Provides important platforms and contemporary accounts of the state of stem cell research in the fields of toxicology and teratology Considers both in vitro uses of stem cells as platforms for teratology and also stem cellopathies, which are in vivo developmental and degenerative disorders Helps the pharmaceutical industry and safety and environmental authorities validate the status quo of in vitro toxicity test systems based on human pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives

Addressing chronic back pain, diabetes, joint replacements, osteoarthritis, neurological issues, and more, Joseph “Dr. Joe” Christiano reveals how this cutting-edge therapy can rapidly replace damaged cells in the body with no side effects or allergic reactions. If you have been disappointed by ineffective treatments, the answer to improving your health may be in your stem cells. Dr. Joe explains how adult stem cell therapy and activators are two of the new technologies in regenerative medicine that will be game changers in medical history. Adult stem cell therapy is disrupting and revolutionizing the way we think about our health. Stem Cell Revolution features testimonials of people who have seen their pain disappear, COPD reversed, and kidney function restored, among other benefits.

This invaluable resource discusses insights ranging from basic biological mechanisms of various types of stem cells through the potential applications in the treatment of human diseases, including cancer and genetic disorders. These discoveries are placed within the structural context of tissue and developmental biology in sections dealing with recent advances in understanding different types of stem cell biology and their potential applications in tissue repair and regeneration and in the treatment different types of human cancer and genetic diseases or disorders.Stem Cells for Cancer and Genetic Disease Treatment and the other books in the Stem Cells in Clinical Applicationsseries will be invaluable to scientists, researchers, advanced students and clinicians working in stem cells, regenerative medicine or tissue engineering as well as cancer or genetics research.

Stem cell and regenerative medicine research is a hot area of research which promises to change the face of medicine as it will be practiced in the years to come. Challenges in the 21st century to combat diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer and related diseases may well be addressed employing stem cell therapies and tissue regeneration. Frontiers in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research is essential reading for researchers seeking updates in stem cell therapeutics and regenerative medicine. This volume includes reviews on the following topics: -the role of microvesicles and exosomes in mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) in treating diseases while overcoming side effects -alternative models for understanding cancer stem cell biology -stem cells treatments for orthopaedic injury and endocrine disorders -wound healing biomaterials -theoretical models of hematopoietic cell dynamics (with implications for bone marrow transplants)

This book looks at where stem cell technology is presently and how it is instrumental in advancing the field of disease modeling and cell transplantation. By focusing on major human disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and heart disorders, the book summarizes the major findings in the field of human stem cells and dissect the current limitations on our understanding of stem cells biology. The chapters focus on the genetics, genomics, epigenetics and physiology of stem cells models, together with technological advances on molecular biology such as CRISPR/Cas9 or epigenetic editing, that will be instrumental in the future of human disease modeling and treatment. In base of the limitations of current disease models and in front of the unmet necessity of finding therapeutical interventions for human disorders, the availability of stem cell technology has opened new doors for several fields. The unlimited self-renewal capacity and more extensive differentiation potential of stem cells offers a theoretically inexhaustible and replenishable source of any cell subtype. Since Professor Shinya Yamanaka described it, 10 years ago in his seminal paper, that somatic cells could be reprogrammed to inducible stem cells (iPSC) just by expressing four transcription factors, the field of has exploded, especially its applications in biomedical research.

The overall purpose of Human Embryos, Human Beings is to establish the ontological status of the human embryo, in light of the most recent biological evidence. The thesis of the book is that sound philosophical reasoning and the available scientific evidence support the claim that a human being is present from the moment of fertilization onward (the “immediate hominization” view) and does not support the contrary claim that a human being appears only after a time following fertilization (the “delayed hominization” view). Included in the scope of this argument is an examination of several long-standing philosophical arguments claiming that immediate hominization is false; a detailed examination of several arguments claiming that though immediate hominization is possible, both evidence and argument best support the delayed hominization view or some alternate view; and an examination of several cases where natural defect or scientific manipulation make determining the ontological status of the embryo more difficult. The book also includes a presentation of hylomorphism, as this is the philosophical viewpoint employed by the authors to analyze the question. Human Embryos, Human Beings is based on the premise that philosophical and scientific approaches are not in conflict, with the most comprehensive understanding of human embryos being achieved by application of a rigorous hylomorphic philosophy to the best available scientific data. Often, one finds either a thorough and well-reasoned philosophical account or a detailed scientific account. This book makes a welcome addition to the field by integrating both of these needed elements into a single text.

A Roadmap to Non-hematopoietic Stem Cell-Based Therapeutics: From the Bench to the Clinic is a resource that provides an overview of the principles of stem cell therapy, the promises and challenges of using stem cells for treating various clinical conditions, and future perspectives. The overall goal is to facilitate the translation of basic research on stem cells to clinical applications. The properties of stem cells from various sources are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of each for clinical use are discussed. Modifying stem cell properties through preconditioning strategies using physical, chemical, genetic, and molecular manipulation to improve cell survival, increase cell differentiation potential, enhance production of paracrine factors, and facilitate homing to the site of injury or disease upon transplantation are reviewed. Various routes of stem cell administration and dosing, and the duration of effects, are explored. Individual chapters are written by experts in the field and focus on the use of stem cells in treating various degenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, wound healing, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injury, oral and dental diseases, and skeletal disorders. Finally, experts in the regulatory arena discuss mechanisms used in different countries for approving the use of stem cells to treat diseases and many common issues that are typically encountered while seeking approval for this class of therapeutic agent. - Offers advanced students, as well as new researchers, an overview of the principles of stem cell therapy - Discusses a wide array of pressing clinical issues with stem cell-based therapies so that new ideas in the laboratory can be efficiently translated to the clinic through better designed clinical trials - Helps clarify current regulatory mechanisms so that the safe use of stem cells for treating a variety of diseases can move forward - Fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue between research scientists and physicians to accelerate the safe implementation of efficacious cell therapies

After more than four decades living with multiple sclerosis, New York Times bestselling author Richard M. Cohen finds a flicker of hope in a groundbreaking medical procedure.Richard Cohen struggles with failing limbs and is legally blind. He has survived two bouts of colon cancer and a life-threatening blood clot in his lungs. After enduring decades of harsh treatments and invasive therapies, Cohen decided to trade in his life as a patient.In 2012, Cohen and his wife, Meredith Vieira, were invited to host and chair an adult stem cell conference at the Vatican. Scientists would be gathering in Rome to discuss stem cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, including MS. A believer in the power of denial and determination over faith and hope, Cohen was caught off guard by what he learned. Medical technology had advanced further and more quickly than Cohen had known. Could there be a chance his health could improve? Could MS be cured? As Cohen took part in a pioneering stem cell protocol, he opened himself to the possibility of hope for the first time in his adult life.Cohen's deep dive into the cutting-edge world of stem cell research and his journalistic investigation of hope includes interviews with doctors, scientists, and religious leaders, as well as conversations with others living with chronic conditions, all with the goal of understanding a hope that is both elusive and alluring.As drily funny as it is emotionally vulnerable, Chasing Hope navigates the fascinating and ever-changing intersection between illness and hope.

An examination of a decade and a half of political controversy, ethical debate, and scientific progress in stem cell research.After a decade and a half, human pluripotent stem cell research has been normalized. There may be no consensus on the status of the embryo—only a tacit agreement to disagree—but the debate now takes place in a context in which human stem cell research and related technologies already exist. In this book, Charis Thompson investigates the evolution of the controversy over human pluripotent stem cell research in the United States and proposes a new ethical approach for “good science.” Thompson traces political, ethical, and scientific developments that came together in what she characterizes as a “procurial” framing of innovation, based on concern with procurement of pluripotent cells and cell lines, a pro-cures mandate, and a proliferation of bio-curatorial practices.Thompson describes what she calls the “ethical choreography” that allowed research to go on as the controversy continued. The intense ethical attention led to some important discoveries as scientists attempted to “invent around” ethical roadblocks. Some ethical concerns were highly legible; but others were hard to raise in the dominant procurial framing that allowed government funding for the practice of stem cell research to proceed despite controversy. Thompson broadens the debate to include such related topics as animal and human research subjecthood and altruism. Looking at fifteen years of stem cell debate and discoveries, Thompson argues that good science and good ethics are mutually reinforcing, rather than antithetical, in contemporary biomedicine.

Der Import embryonaler Stammzellen nach Deutschland erfordert regelmäßig den Abschluss eines Material Transfer Agreements. Die Arbeit zeigt typische Inhalte und Formen solcher Transfervereinbarungen auf und beleuchtet deren rechtstypologische Einordnung in das System der Schuldverträge. Auf dieser Basis erfolgt sodann eine Untersuchung des auf die Material Transfer Agreements anwendbaren Rechts nach der Rom I-Verordnung. Darüber hinaus werden auch sachenrechtliche Aspekte im Zusammenhang mit dem Stammzellenimport beleuchtet. Gelingt dem Materialempfänger in seinen Forschungsprojekten die Weiterentwicklung des Ausgangsmaterials, so stellt sich die Frage, ob und unter welchen Voraussetzungen er hieran Eigentum erlangt.

This examination of stem cell biology from a philosophy of science perspective clarifies the field's central concept, the stem cell, as well as its aims, methods, models, explanations and evidential challenges. Relations to systems biology and clinical medicine are also discussed.

Human embryos, it has been said,'have no muscles, nerves, digestive system, feet, hands, face, or brain; they have nothing to distinguish them as a human being, and if one of them died, no one would mourn as they would for one of us.'Consequently, early human embryos are being dismembered in laboratories around the world to produce embryonic stem cells, which, we are told, are the tools that will lead to the next quantum leap in medicine. Should Christians support such small sacrifices for something that might potentially relieve the suffering of millions, or should we vigorously oppose it? Developmental biologist and professor of biochemistry Michael Buratovich was asked such a question (among others) by his students. This book contains his measured answers and provides support from the scientific literature to substantiate his claims. He shows that embryonic stem cells are unnecessary, since the renaissance in regenerative medicine is occurring largely without them. Furthermore, he sets forth the scientific and historic case that the embryo is the youngest and most vulnerable member of humanity, and that ones such as these are precisely those whom the Christian church worked to protect in the past--and should champion in the present.

Stem cell research has sparked controversy and heated debate since the first human stem cell line was derived in 1998. Too frequently these debates devolve to simple judgments—good or bad, life-saving medicine or bioethical nightmare, symbol of human ingenuity or our fall from grace—ignoring the people affected. With this book, Ruha Benjamin moves the terms of debate to focus on the shifting relationship between science and society, on the people who benefit—or don't—from regenerative medicine and what this says about our democratic commitments to an equitable society. People's Science uncovers the tension between scientific innovation and social equality, taking the reader inside California's 2004 stem cell initiative, the first of many state referenda on scientific research, to consider the lives it has affected. Benjamin reveals the promise and peril of public participation in science, illuminating issues of race, disability, gender, and socio-economic class that serve to define certain groups as more or less deserving in their political aims and biomedical hopes. Under the shadow of the free market and in a nation still at odds with universal healthcare, the socially marginalized are often eagerly embraced as test-subjects, yet often are unable to afford new medicines and treatment regimes as patients. Ultimately, Ruha Benjamin argues that without more deliberate consideration about how scientific initiatives can and should reflect a wider array of social concerns, stem cell research— from African Americans'struggle with sickle cell treatment to the recruitment of women as tissue donors—still risks excluding many. Even as regenerative medicine is described as a participatory science for the people, Benjamin asks us to consider if'the people'ultimately reflects our democratic ideals.

Stem Cells: Promises and Reality will tell you everything you have always wanted to know about stem cells, but could not understand the field from elsewhere.Stem cells are the great therapeutic promise of the century, and this evolving field of research and medicine brings with it many legal, ethical and psychological issues that must be discussed by society as a whole.Written so as to be accessible to general readers as well as specialists, this book explains what stem cells are, and the different aspects of stem cell research and applications. The book will enable the reader to understand the field sufficiently to critically participate in the public debates regarding stem cell research and society and ethics. By the end of the book, the reader will also be able to judge news on the stem cells field, and to discern what are real advances and what are phony treatments.The main advantage of this book in comparison with other'stem cells for the general public'books is that it assumes the reader knows NOTHING about biology, except what is already common knowledge (for example, that we are made of cells). The book constructs step by step the required basic biology knowledge in order for the reader to understand all the different aspects of stem cells. At the same time that it is thorough in its stem cells-based content, and will keep the reader engaged with its narrative.

This book discusses the main stem cell niches under distinct pathophysiological conditions. The role of tissue microenvironments in stem cell regulation, as well as modern methodologies and new techniques for the identification and characterization of stem cell niches, are discussed by leading experts in the field. Chapters describe the major components of various stem cell microenvironments, such as cellular components, soluble factors, cell-cell interactions, extra-cellular matrix proteins, and physical forces. Stem Cell Microenvironments and Beyond is part of the highly successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series. It is essential reading for graduate students and researchers in the field of stem cells or cell biology as well as clinicians.