Adult Stem Cell Therapies Alternatives To Plasticity

This timely volume explores various techniques for tissue and organ regeneration using stem cells isolated from adult tissues. It discusses alternative explanations of stem cell plasticity as well as current clinical results with adult stem cell therapies. It examines the presence of potential pluripotent stem cells in adult tissues, paracrine effects of stem cell therapies, and involvement of exosomes and microparticles into observed phenomena. Fifteen chapters, all written by noted leaders of their fields, focus on a variety of topics including cord blood and hematopoietic stem cells, skin and tissue organ regeneration, very small embryonic-like stem cells, and cell therapies in cardiology, neonatology, and neurology. Edited by Dr. Mariusz Ratajczak, an internationally known specialist in adult stem cell biology, Adult Stem Cell Therapies: Alternatives to Plasticity is an important addition to the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series.

This timely volume explores various techniques for tissue and organ regeneration using stem cells isolated from adult tissues. It discusses alternative explanations of stem cell plasticity as well as current clinical results with adult stem cell therapies. It examines the presence of potential pluripotent stem cells in adult tissues, paracrine effects of stem cell therapies, and involvement of exosomes and microparticles into observed phenomena. Fifteen chapters, all written by noted leaders of their fields, focus on a variety of topics including cord blood and hematopoietic stem cells, skin and tissue organ regeneration, very small embryonic-like stem cells, and cell therapies in cardiology, neonatology, and neurology. Edited by Dr. Mariusz Ratajczak, an internationally known specialist in adult stem cell biology, Adult Stem Cell Therapies: Alternatives to Plasticity is an important addition to the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series.

Studies on stem cells have been attracting intense scientific and p- lic attention, not only because of controversies surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells but also because of very provocative data that have been emerging on adult stem cells. Much of the public attention and debate has been focused on the possibility that adult stem cells may be used as a substitute for human embryonic stem cells or as a justification for stopping work on them. This has somewhat dim- ished attention on very heated scientific debates that take us to the very heart of how the concept of stem cells is perceived. To this author, the latter debates have not been unlike certain philosophical debates of the last century. Since the seminal studies of Till and McCulloch in the 1960s, the popular paradigm on adult stem cells has been that lineage-restricted stem cells are derived from pluripotent stem cells very early during development. To many, and consistent with much data, the restriction to particular lineages was considered absolute. In other words, there was a sense of determinism in the stem quality of particular stem cells: once they were allocated, they were programmed to specific roles in a given tissue. Furthermore, some adult tissues were considered devoid of detectable stem cell presence or activity.

This book provides a multifaceted look into the world of stem cells and explains the similarities and differences between plant and human stem cells. It explores the intersection between animals and plants and explains their cooperative role in bioengineering studies. The book treats both theoretical and practical aspects of stem cell research. It covers the advantages and limitations of many common applications related to stem cells: their sources, categories, engineering of these cells, reprogramming of their functions, and their role as novel cellular therapeutic approach. Written by experts in the field, the book focuses on aspects of stem cells ranging from expansion-propagation to metabolic reprogramming. It introduces the emergence of cancer stem cells and different modalities in targeted cancer stem cell therapies. It is a valuable source of fresh information for academics and researchers, examining molecular mechanisms of animal and plant stem cell regulation and their usage for therapeutic applications. Students at all levels of medical or engineering backgrounds will enjoy the case studies that illustrate and explain mechanisms, interactions, targeted effects, and multimodal therapeutic approaches. Academics, researchers, and professionals who want to expand their knowledge in this field will find this book an exceptional resource.

Dr. Stephanie Willerth has a commercialization agreement with Aspect Biosystems with regards to bioprinting stem cell derived tissues. Dr. Yuguo Lei is a co-founder of CellGro Technologies, LLC, a company focusing on cell expansion technologies. Dr. Tiago Fernandes has no competing interests with regards to this Research Topic.

Stem cell transplantation may be complicated by treatment-related mortality and like the immune system that it regenerates has equal potential to either create and preserve or destroy. The dual nature that defines stem cells is differentiation that ultimately leads to death and self-renewal, which leads to immortality. What types of stem cells are there? How are they collected? What are their attributes and characteristics? This textbook devotes many chapters to familiarize the reader with the basic science, clinical aspects, and new questions being raised in the field of stem cell biology. Blood stem cells for tolerance and tissue regeneration are a rapidly developing research and clinical field that is being applied to autoimmune diseases. In clinical trials, autologous hematopoietic (blood) stem cells are being used to reduce the cytopenic interval following intense immune suppressive transplant regimens. While as yet not delineated, some possible mechanisms and pathways leading to tolerance after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are suggested in these chapters. Tissue regeneration from blood stem cells is also suggested by animal experiments on stem cell plasticity or metamoirosis (i.e., change in fate) as described within this textbook. Ongoing early clinical trials on tissue regeneration from blood stem cells are described in the chapter on stem cell therapy for cardiac and peripheral vascular disease. Whether autologous hematopoietic stem cells, through the process of mobilization and reinfusion, may be manipulated to contribute to tissue repair in autoimmune diseases is a future area for translational research.

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.