Stem Cells in the Respiratory System


Book Description

In this state-of-the-art exploration of a hugely dynamic and fast-evolving field of research, leading researchers share their collective wisdom on the role that stem cells could play in the context of physiological stress and lung injury. The text focuses on reviewing the most relevant—and recent—ideas on using local, endogenous, and exogenous progenitor/stem cells in preventing and treating injury to the lung. The lungs are one of the most complex organs in the human body, with a mature adult lung boasting at least 40 morphologically differentiated cell lineages. Our entire blood supply passes through the lung’s alveolar units during oxygenation. This interaction with the outside world, along with the intricacies of its structure, makes the lung a highly susceptible organ that is vulnerable to numerous types of injury and infection. This means that the mechanisms of lung repair are in themselves correspondingly complex. Because of their multipotentiality, as well as the fact of the lung’s relatively rapid cell turnover, stem cells are thought to be an important alternative cell-base therapy in lung injury. Despite the controversial nature of stem cell research, there has been growing interest in both local and endogenous stem cells in the lung. This highly topical book with chapters on everything from using mesenchymal stem cells in lung repair to the effect of physical activity on the mobilization of stem and progenitor cells, represents an exciting body of work by outstanding investigators and will be required reading for those with an interest in the subject.




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




Fetal and Neonatal Lung Development


Book Description

Lung disease affects more than 600 million people worldwide. While some of these lung diseases have an obvious developmental component, there is growing appreciation that processes and pathways critical for normal lung development are also important for postnatal tissue homeostasis and are dysregulated in lung disease. This book provides an authoritative review of fetal and neonatal lung development and is designed to provide a diverse group of scientists, spanning the basic to clinical research spectrum, with the latest developments on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of normal lung development and injury-repair processes, and how they are dysregulated in disease. The book covers genetics, omics, and systems biology as well as new imaging techniques that are transforming studies of lung development. The reader will learn where the field of lung development has been, where it is presently, and where it is going in order to improve outcomes for patients with common and rare lung diseases.




Fluorescent Nanodiamonds


Book Description

The most comprehensive reference on fluorescent nanodiamond physical and chemical properties and contemporary applications Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) have drawn a great deal of attention over the past several years, and their applications and development potential are proving to be manifold and vast. The first and only book of its kind, Fluorescent Nanodiamonds is a comprehensive guide to the basic science and technical information needed to fully understand the fundamentals of FNDs and their potential applications across an array of domains. In demonstrating the importance of FNDs in biological applications, the authors bring together all relevant chemistry, physics, materials science and biology. Nanodiamonds are produced by powerful cataclysmic events such as explosions, volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts. They also can be created in the lab by high-pressure high-temperature treatment of graphite or detonating an explosive in a reactor vessel. A single imperfection can give a nanodiamond a specific, isolated color center which allows it to function as a single, trapped atom. Much smaller than the thickness of a human hair, a nanodiamond can have a huge surface area that allows it to bond with a variety of other materials. Because of their non-toxicity, nanodiamonds may be useful in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery and gene therapy. The most comprehensive reference on a topic of rapidly increasing interest among academic and industrial researchers across an array of fields Includes numerous case studies and practical examples from many areas of research and industrial applications, as well as fascinating and instructive historical perspectives Each chapter addresses, in-depth, a single integral topic including the fundamental properties, synthesis, mechanisms and functionalisation of FNDs The first book published by the key patent holder with his research group in the field of FNDs Fluorescent Nanodiamonds is an important working resource for a broad range of scientists and engineers in industry and academia. It will also be a welcome reference for instructors in chemistry, physics, materials science, biology and related fields.




Molecular Mechanism of Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension


Book Description

This open access book focuses on the molecular mechanism of congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, offering new insights into the development of pulmonary circulation and the ductus arteriosus. It describes in detail the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and morphogenesis of the heart, lungs and ductus arteriosus, covering a range of topics such as gene functions, growth factors, transcription factors and cellular interactions, as well as stem cell engineering technologies. The book also presents recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of lung development, pulmonary hypertension and molecular regulation of the ductus arteriosus. As such, it is an ideal resource for physicians, scientists and investigators interested in the latest findings on the origins of congenital heart disease and potential future therapies involving pulmonary circulation/hypertension and the ductus arteriosus.




Stem Cells


Book Description

Since different types of stem cells for therapeutic applications have recently been proposed, this timely volume explores various sources of stem cells for tissue and organ regeneration and discusses their advantages and limitations. Also discussed are pros and cons for using embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells isolated from postnatal tissues. Different types of adult stem cells for therapeutic applications are also reviewed, including hematopoietic stem cells, epidermal stem cells, endothelial progenitors, neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and very small embryonic-like stem cells. This book also addresses paracrine effects of stem cells in regenerative medicine that are mediated by extracellular microvesicles and soluble secretome. Finally, potential applications of stem cells in cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, immunotherapy, and aging are presented. This is an ideal book for students and researchers working in the stem cell research field.




Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Lung Disease


Book Description

This book presents state-of-the-art pre-clinical models and clinical applications of stem-cell-based therapies applied to different lung diseases, with a special focus on the translation of bench data into clinical studies. Starting with the assumption that abnormal lung tissue repair and regeneration has emerged as the driving force underlying pathogenesis and progression in many lung diseases, it sheds new light on the potential of stem/stromal cells as drivers of repair and sources of reparative factors in the lung. The first part of the book offers an overview of stem cell types and mechanisms involved in lung development, homeostasis, repair and regeneration, and reveals the crucial role of the extracellular matrix within the lung microenvironment. In the second part, leading experts present the latest pre-clinical evidence and clinical applications of stem-cell-based therapies in a wide variety of lung diseases, ranging from COPD and lung fibrosis to other rare lung diseases. The last section discusses stem cell delivery systems and devices, such as aerosolised spray application. This book appeals to pneumologists, stem cell and matrix biologists, as well as bioengeneers with a special interest in regenerative medicine applied to pulmonary diseases.




Cardiac Regeneration


Book Description

This Volume of the series Cardiac and Vascular Biology offers a comprehensive and exciting, state-of-the-art work on the current options and potentials of cardiac regeneration and repair. Several techniques and approaches have been developed for heart failure repair: direct injection of cells, programming of scar tissue into functional myocardium, and tissue-engineered heart muscle support. The book introduces the rationale for these different approaches in cell-based heart regeneration and discusses the most important considerations for clinical translation. Expert authors discuss when, why, and how heart muscle can be salvaged. The book represents a valuable resource for stem cell researchers, cardiologists, bioengineers, and biomedical scientists studying cardiac function and regeneration.




Essential Current Concepts in Stem Cell Biology


Book Description

This textbook describes the biology of different adult stem cell types and outlines the current level of knowledge in the field. It clearly explains the basics of hematopoietic, mesenchymal and cord blood stem cells and also covers induced pluripotent stem cells. Further, it includes a chapter on ethical aspects of human stem cell research, which promotes critical thinking and responsible handling of the material. Based on the international masters program Molecular and Developmental Stem Cell Biology taught at Ruhr-University Bochum and Tongji University Shanghai, the book is a valuable source for postdocs and researchers working with stems cells and also offers essential insights for physicians and dentists wishing to expand their knowledge. This textbook is a valuable complement to Concepts and Applications of Stem Cell Biology, also published in the Learning Materials in Biosciences textbook series.




Resident Stem Cells and Regenerative Therapy


Book Description

Provides explanations of experiments with animal models and clinical trials that are transforming the field of regeneration.