Pluripotent Stem Cells


Book Description

Pluripotent stem cells have distinct characteristics: self-renewal and the potential to differentiate into various somatic cells. In recent years, substantial advances have been made from basic science to clinical applications. The vast amount knowledge available makes obtaining concise yet sufficient information difficult, hence the purpose of this book. In this book, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells are discussed. The book is divided into five sections: pluripotency, culture methods, toxicology, disease models, and regenerative medicine. The topics covered range from new concepts to current technologies. Readers are expected to gain useful information from expert contributors.




Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine


Book Description

Recent scientific breakthroughs, celebrity patient advocates, and conflicting religious beliefs have come together to bring the state of stem cell researchâ€"specifically embryonic stem cell researchâ€"into the political crosshairs. President Bush's watershed policy statement allows federal funding for embryonic stem cell research but only on a limited number of stem cell lines. Millions of Americans could be affected by the continuing political debate among policymakers and the public. Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine provides a deeper exploration of the biological, ethical, and funding questions prompted by the therapeutic potential of undifferentiated human cells. In terms accessible to lay readers, the book summarizes what we know about adult and embryonic stem cells and discusses how to go about the transition from mouse studies to research that has therapeutic implications for people. Perhaps most important, Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine also provides an overview of the moral and ethical problems that arise from the use of embryonic stem cells. This timely book compares the impact of public and private research funding and discusses approaches to appropriate research oversight. Based on the insights of leading scientists, ethicists, and other authorities, the book offers authoritative recommendations regarding the use of existing stem cell lines versus new lines in research, the important role of the federal government in this field of research, and other fundamental issues.




Stem Cell Manufacturing


Book Description

Stem Cell Manufacturing discusses the required technologies that enable the transfer of the current laboratory-based practice of stem cell tissue culture to the clinic environment as therapeutics, while concurrently achieving control, reproducibility, automation, validation, and safety of the process and the product. The advent of stem cell research unveiled the therapeutic potential of stem cells and their derivatives and increased the awareness of the public and scientific community for the topic. The successful manufacturing of stem cells and their derivatives is expected to have a positive impact in the society since it will contribute to widen the offer of therapeutic solutions to the patients. Fully defined cellular products can be used to restore the structure and function of damaged tissues and organs and to develop stem cell-based cellular therapies for the treatment of cancer and hematological disorders, autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases and genetic disorders. - Presents the first 'Flowchart' of stem cell manufacturing enabling easy understanding of the various processes in a sequential and coherent manner - Covers all bioprocess technologies required for the transfer of the bench findings to the clinic including the process components: cell signals, bioreactors, modeling, automation, safety, etc. - Presents comprehensive coverage of a true multidisciplinary topic by bringing together specialists in their particular area - Provides the basics of the processes and identifies the issues to be resolved for large scale cell culture by the bioengineer - Addresses the critical need in bioprocessing for the successful delivery of stem cell technology to the market place by involving professional engineers in sections of the book




Examining the State of the Science of Mammalian Embryo Model Systems


Book Description

Because of the recent advances in embryo modeling techniques, and at the request of the Office of Science Policy in the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, hosted a 1-day public workshop that would explore the state of the science of mammalian embryo model systems. The workshop, which took place on January 17, 2020, featured a combination of presentations, panels, and general discussions, during which panelists and participants offered a broad range of perspectives. Participants considered whether embryo model systems - especially those that use nonhuman primate cells - can be used to predict the function of systems made with human cells. Presentations provided an overview of the current state of the science of in vitro development of human trophoblast. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.




Toward Precision Medicine


Book Description

Motivated by the explosion of molecular data on humans-particularly data associated with individual patients-and the sense that there are large, as-yet-untapped opportunities to use this data to improve health outcomes, Toward Precision Medicine explores the feasibility and need for "a new taxonomy of human disease based on molecular biology" and develops a potential framework for creating one. The book says that a new data network that integrates emerging research on the molecular makeup of diseases with clinical data on individual patients could drive the development of a more accurate classification of diseases and ultimately enhance diagnosis and treatment. The "new taxonomy" that emerges would define diseases by their underlying molecular causes and other factors in addition to their traditional physical signs and symptoms. The book adds that the new data network could also improve biomedical research by enabling scientists to access patients' information during treatment while still protecting their rights. This would allow the marriage of molecular research and clinical data at the point of care, as opposed to research information continuing to reside primarily in academia. Toward Precision Medicine notes that moving toward individualized medicine requires that researchers and health care providers have access to very large sets of health- and disease-related data linked to individual patients. These data are also critical for developing the information commons, the knowledge network of disease, and ultimately the new taxonomy.




Human Embryonic Stem Cells


Book Description

A discussion of all the key issues in the use of human pluripotent stem cells for treating degenerative diseases or for replacing tissues lost from trauma. On the practical side, the topics range from the problems of deriving human embryonic stem cells and driving their differentiation along specific lineages, regulating their development into mature cells, and bringing stem cell therapy to clinical trials. Regulatory issues are addressed in discussions of the ethical debate surrounding the derivation of human embryonic stem cells and the current policies governing their use in the United States and abroad, including the rules and conditions regulating federal funding and questions of intellectual property.




Cellular and Animal Models in Human Genomics Research


Book Description

Cellular and Animal Models in Human Genomics Research provides an indispensable resource for applying comparative genomics in the annotation of disease-gene associated variants that are identified by human genomic sequencing. The book presents a thorough overview of effective protocols for the use of cellular and animal modeling methods to turn lists of plausible genes into causative biomarkers. With chapters written by international experts, the book first addresses the fundamental aspects of using cellular and animal models in genetic and genomic studies, including in-depth examples of specific models and their utility, i.e., yeast, worms, flies, fish, mice and large animals. Protocols for properly conducting model studies, genomic technology, modeling candidate genes vs. genetic variants, integrative modeling, utilizing induced pluripotent stem cells, and employing CRISPR-Cas9 are also discussed in-depth. - Provides a thorough, accessible resource that helps researchers and students employ cellular and animal models in their own genetic and genomic studies - Offers guidance on how to effectively interpret the results and significance of genetic and genomic model studies for human health - Features chapters from international experts in the use of specific cellular and animal models, including yeast, worms, flies, fish, mice, and large animals, among other organisms




Stem Cells in Modeling Human Genetic Diseases


Book Description

While most stem cell books focus on basic aspects and/or cell therapy, this book emphasizes the relevance of stem cells obtained from patients, the so-called “patients in a petri dish” as tools to investigate human genetic diseases for which there are no available effective treatment. Chapters embrace several examples of the use of iPS cell technology, a recent Nobel Prize-winning scientific breakthrough, to obtain patient-specific pluripotent cells from which many types of specialized cells involved in a particular disease can be generated, including psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, muscular dystrophies, laminopathies, among others. The text is a current and timely resource for postgraduate students, scientists and clinicians, interested in applications of this rapidly developing field of research in disease modeling, drug development, and emerging issues that it brings to regenerative medicine.




Lung Stem Cells in Development, Health and Disease


Book Description

Most organs in the adult human body are able to maintain themselves and undergo repair after injury; these processes are largely dependent on stem cells. In this Monograph, the Guest Editors bring together leading authors in the field to provide information about the different classes of stem cells present both in the developing and adult lung: where they are found, how they function in homeostasis and pathologic conditions, the mechanisms that regulate their behaviour, and how they may be harnessed for therapeutic purposes. The book focuses on stem cells in the mouse and human lung but also includes the ferret as an increasingly important new model organism. Chapters also discuss how lung tissue, including endogenous stem cells, can be generated in vitro from pluripotent stem cell lines. This state-of-the-art collection comprehensively covers one of the most exciting areas of respiratory science




GeNeDis 2018


Book Description

The 3rd World Congress on Genetics, Geriatrics, and Neurodegenerative Disease Research (GeNeDis 2018), focuses on recent advances in genetics, geriatrics, and neurodegeneration, ranging from basic science to clinical and pharmaceutical developments. It also provides an international forum for the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, and care initiatives. Advanced information technologies are discussed, including the basic research, implementation of medico-social policies, and the European and global issues in the funding of long-term care for elderly people.