Intestinal Stem Cell Niche


Book Description

Advances in Stem Cells and Their Niches addresses stem cells during development, homeostasis, and disease/injury of the respective organs, presenting new developments in the field, including new data on disease and clinical applications. Video content illustrates such areas as protocols, transplantation techniques, and work with mice. Explores not only reviews of research, but also shares methods, protocols, and transplantation techniques Contains video content to illustrate such areas as protocols, transplantation techniques, and work with mice Each volume concentrates on one organ, making this a unique publication




The Impact of Food Bioactives on Health


Book Description

“Infogest” (Improving Health Properties of Food by Sharing our Knowledge on the Digestive Process) is an EU COST action/network in the domain of Food and Agriculture that will last for 4 years from April 4, 2011. Infogest aims at building an open international network of institutes undertaking multidisciplinary basic research on food digestion gathering scientists from different origins (food scientists, gut physiologists, nutritionists...). The network gathers 70 partners from academia, corresponding to a total of 29 countries. The three main scientific goals are: Identify the beneficial food components released in the gut during digestion; Support the effect of beneficial food components on human health; Promote harmonization of currently used digestion models Infogest meetings highlighted the need for a publication that would provide researchers with an insight into the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of respective in vitro and ex vivo assays to evaluate the effects of foods and food bioactives on health. Such assays are particularly important in situations where a large number of foods/bioactives need to be screened rapidly and in a cost effective manner in order to ultimately identify lead foods/bioactives that can be the subject of in vivo assays. The book is an asset to researchers wishing to study the health benefits of their foods and food bioactives of interest and highlights which in vitro/ex vivo assays are of greatest relevance to their goals, what sort of outputs/data can be generated and, as noted above, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various assays. It is also an important resource for undergraduate students in the ‘food and health’ arena.




Regulation of Gastrointestinal Mucosal Growth


Book Description

The mammalian gastrointestinal mucosa is a rapidly self-renewing tissue in the body, and its homeostasis is preserved through the strict regulation of epithelial cell proliferation, growth arrest, and apoptosis. The control of the growth of gastrointestinal mucosa is unique and, compared with most other tissue in the body, complex. Mucosal growth is regulated by the same hormones that alter metabolism in other tissues, but the gastrointestinal mucosa also responds to host events triggered by the ingestion and presence of food within the digestive tract. These gut hormones and peptides regulate the growth of the exocrine pancreas, gallbladder epithelium, and the mucosa of the oxyntic gland region of the stomach and the small and large intestines. Luminal factors, including nutrients or other dietary factors, secretions, and microbes that occur within the lumen and distribute over a proximal-to-distal gradient, are also crucial for maintenance of normal gut mucosal regeneration and could explain the villous-height-crypt-depth gradient and variety of adaptation, since these factors are diluted, absorbed, and destroyed as they pass down the digestive tract. Recently, intestinal stem cells, cellular polyamines, and noncoding RNAs are shown to play an important role in the regulation of gastrointestinal mucosal growth under physiological and various pathological conditions. In this book, we highlight key issues and factors that control gastrointestinal mucosal growth and homeostasis, with special emphasis on the mechanisms through which epithelial renewal and apoptosis are regulated at the cellular and molecular levels.




Tumor Organoids


Book Description

Cancer cell biology research in general, and anti-cancer drug development specifically, still relies on standard cell culture techniques that place the cells in an unnatural environment. As a consequence, growing tumor cells in plastic dishes places a selective pressure that substantially alters their original molecular and phenotypic properties.The emerging field of regenerative medicine has developed bioengineered tissue platforms that can better mimic the structure and cellular heterogeneity of in vivo tissue, and are suitable for tumor bioengineering research. Microengineering technologies have resulted in advanced methods for creating and culturing 3-D human tissue. By encapsulating the respective cell type or combining several cell types to form tissues, these model organs can be viable for longer periods of time and are cultured to develop functional properties similar to native tissues. This approach recapitulates the dynamic role of cell–cell, cell–ECM, and mechanical interactions inside the tumor. Further incorporation of cells representative of the tumor stroma, such as endothelial cells (EC) and tumor fibroblasts, can mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironment. Collectively, bioengineered tumors create an important resource for the in vitro study of tumor growth in 3D including tumor biomechanics and the effects of anti-cancer drugs on 3D tumor tissue. These technologies have the potential to overcome current limitations to genetic and histological tumor classification and development of personalized therapies.




Tissue Engineering Using Ceramics and Polymers


Book Description

Technology and research in the field of tissue engineering has drastically increased within the last few years to the extent that almost every tissue and organ of the human body could potentially be regenerated. With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Tissue Engineering using Ceramics and Polymers reviews the latest research and advances in this thriving area and how they can be used to develop treatments for disease states. Part one discusses general issues such as ceramic and polymeric biomaterials, scaffolds, transplantation of engineered cells, surface modification and drug delivery. Later chapters review characterisation using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry as well as environmental scanning electron microscopy and Raman micro-spectroscopy. Chapters in part two analyse bone regeneration and specific types of tissue engineering and repair such as cardiac, intervertebral disc, skin, kidney and bladder tissue. The book concludes with the coverage of themes such as nerve bioengineering and the micromechanics of hydroxyapatite-based biomaterials and tissue scaffolds. Tissue Engineering using Ceramics and Polymers is an innovative reference for professionals and academics involved in the field of tissue engineering. - An innovative and up-to-date reference for professionals and academics - Environmental scanning electron microscopy is discussed - Analyses bone regeneration and specific types of tisue engineering







Culture of Epithelial Cells


Book Description

"...a wonderful compendium of current in vitro approaches that will be a useful resource to those just starting to work with an epithelial cell system as well as those that have been working with them for years and years." --Pharmaceutical Research This completely revised and expanded new edition provides detailed descriptions of fundamental and practical aspects relating to the in vitro cultivation of disparate types of epithelia. In recent years, the use of epithelial cell culture in cell biology and tissue engineering has increased dramatically. This revision reflects those advances by including new chapters on the culture of animal and human hepatocytes, kidney epithelium, and bladder epithelium. Each chapter provides an introductory review of the principles and advantages of the particular method, followed by detailed protocols, practical tips, alternate methods, and a useful list of materials and suppliers.




Stem Cells


Book Description

Stem cells are relatively undifferentiated cells which are the permanent lineage ancestor cells of tissues. Newly developed molecular biological techniques and probes have made possible dramatic advances in our ability to study the lineage development of stem cells. A major impetus to develop these techniques has been to identify specific stem cells for gene therapy purposes. The role that stem cells play in the development of cancer is also an important area. This book provides up-to-date reviews on a wide variety of stem cell systems by world experts. Chapters range from descriptions of the current knowledge of the biology of stem cells, to current molecular biological approaches and clinical implications. Oncologists and cell biologists will find this book of particular interest. It will also be usefule to radiobiologist, biotechnologists, and gene therapists. - Provides reviews of stem cell systems by world experts - Covers stem cell biology in plants, invertebrates, and mammals - Presents clinical implications of stem cell differentiation




Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches


Book Description

Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches covers a wide spectrum of research and current knowledge on embryonic and adult stem cell niches, focusing on the understanding of stem cell niche molecules and signaling mechanisms, including cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. The book comprehensively reviews factors regulating stem cell behavior and the corresponding approaches for understanding the subsequent effect of providing the proper matrix molecules, mechanical cues, and/or chemical cues. It encompasses a variety of tools and techniques for developing biomaterials-based methods to model synthetic stem cell niches in vivo, or to enhance and direct stem cell fate in vitro. A final section of the book discusses stem cell niche bioengineering strategies and current advances in each tissue type. - Includes the importance of Cell-Cell and Cell Matrix Interactions in each specific tissue and system - Authored and edited by authorities in this emerging and multidisciplinary field - Includes valuable links to 5-10 minute YouTube© author videos that describe main points




Stem Cells: A Very Short Introduction


Book Description

The topic of stem cells has been very high profile in the media in recent years. There is much public interest in stem cells but also much confusion and misinformation, with some companies already offering 'stem cell products' and bogus 'stem cell therapies'. In this Very Short Introduction, Jonathan Slack introduces stem cells; what they are, what scientists do with them, what stem cell therapies are available today, and how they might be used in future. Despite important advances, clinical applications of stem cells are still in their infancy. Most real stem cell therapy today is some form of bone marrow transplantation. Slack introduces stem cells by explaining the difference between embryonic stem cells, which exist only in laboratory cultures, and tissue-specific stem cells, which exist in our bodies. Embryonic stem cells can become any cell type in the body, so diseases that may in future be treated by functional cells derived from these sorts of stem cell include diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and spinal trauma. He then goes on to discuss the properties of tissue-specific stem cells and the important technique of bone marrow transplantation. Slack concludes by analysing how medical innovation has occurred in this area in the past, and draws out some of the lessons for the development of new therapies in the future. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.