Cell Lineage Stem Cells And Cell Determination

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.

The power of stem cells for tissue development, regeneration, and renewal has been well known by embryologists and developmental biologists for many years. Those presently active in research in the stem cell field owe much to previous work by embryologists and cancer researchers for their insights into what stem cells can do. In the last 4- 5 years, the rapid expansion of the concept of adult tissue stem cells as pluripotent progenitors for various tissues has led to an even greater appreciation of the power of stem cells. The demonstration that both embryonic and adult tissue stem cells have the ability to produce progenitor cells for tissue renewal has opened vast possibilities for treatment of congenital deficiency diseases as well as for regeneration of damaged tissues. Older concepts of determination leading to loss of potential during differentiation of adult tissues are being replaced by newer ideas that cells with multiple potential exist in different forms in various adult organs and that cells thought to be restricted to differentiation to one cell type may be able to "transdifferentiate" into other tissue cell types. Thus, the concept of "embryonic rests" in adult tissues, hypothesized to be the cellular origin of cancer by Durante and Conheim in the 1870s, now can be expanded to include survival of pluripotential embryonic-like stem cells in adult tissues.

It is fair to say that embryonic stem (ES) cells have taken their place beside the human genome project as one of the most discussed biomedical issues of the day. It also seems certain that as this millennium unfolds we will see an increase in scientific and ethical debate about their potential utility in society. On the scientific front, it is clear that work on ES cells has already generated new possibilities and stimulated development of new strategies for increasing our und- standing of cell lineages and differentiation. It is not naïve to think that, within a decade or so, our overall understanding of stem cell biology will be as revolutionized as it was when the pioneering hemopoietic stem cell studies of Till and McCulloch in Toronto captured our imaginations in 1961. With it will come better methods for ES and lineage-specific stem cell identification, maintenance, and controlled fate selection. Clearly, ES cell models are already providing opportunities for the est- lishment of limitless sources of specific cell populations. In recognition of the gr- ing excitement and potential of ES cells as models for both the advancement of basic science and future clinical applications, I felt it timely to edit this collection of pro- cols (Embryonic Stem Cells) in which forefront investigators would provide detailed methods for use of ES cells to study various lineages and tissue types.

This detailed volume explores a variety of techniques used to study lineage commitment in stem cells. Further elucidation of the process that stem cells undergo on their way to becoming more specified cell types is vital for a more complete understanding of cell biology and overall physiology. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, as well as tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Stem Cells and Lineage Commitment: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for experts and novices in the field of stem cell biology.