Human Hematopoiesis In Scid Mice

This book presents essential information on the use of the immunodeficient C.B.-17 SCID/SCID mouse for studying human hematopoiesis in vivo. Because of the lack of both humoral and cellular immunity, this mouse can be a unique host for implantation of human hematopoietic tissue using different methods. In the first section, in vivo development of human hematopoietic stem cells and differentiation of human T cells are described. In addition, the effects of growth factors and toxic agents of human hematopoiesis are described. The second section contains chapters in which the human immune responses in the SCID mouse are reviewed. The third section covers SCID mouse models to study human infectious diseases, leukemias and genetic disorders.

Hematopoiesis, or the process of blood formation, has been extensively studied at both basic and clinical levels. Human diseases such as thalassemia, immunodeficiency, and leukemia represent defects in this process. Approaches to treat these disorders have required a basic understanding of the biology of blood cells. For instance, hemapoietic stem cell replacement or bone marrow transplantation has been used to ameliorate disease. This volume focuses on hematopoiesis at a cellular and molecular level, and establishes the basis for clinical manipulation of hematopoietic cells for therapeutic benefit. In Part I, the cellular characteristics of progenitors and stem cells are explored. Emphasis is placed on purification of stem cells and both in vitro and in vivo assays. The regulation of normal and leukemis stem cells is illustrated. An excellent discussion of potential use of these cells for gene therapy concludes this section. Hemapoiesis is easily studied during embryogenesis. Part II develops the concept of the waves of hemapoiesis during development. Comparative hematology is making a major comeback as a field in the 1990's. One hope is that general principles of hematopoiesis will be established by studying many models and systems. Part III delves into critical factors that regulate hematopoiesis, including both intracellular and extracellular signals. Part IV and V describe lineage programs for myeloid and lymphoid lineages. These chapters are meant to be illustrative of the different cell fates, but are not exhaustive. Part VI examines the genetics of hematopoisis, particularly in animal models. The hematopoietic system is in constant contact with stromal cells and endothelial cells during development and in the adult. Evidence suggests that endothelial cells and blood cells may arise from a common progenitor, the hemangioblast. Part VII and VIII discuss the stromal and endothelial cells with the emphasis on their interaction with hematopoietic cells.

Topic Editor Prof. Aimin Xu receives financial support from Servier Laboratories. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic theme.

Immunology, the third volume in the four volume set, The Mouse in Biomedical Research, is a completely new addition to this series, dedicated to mouse immunology. It is based on the vast body of knowledge which has made the mouse the model of choice when studying immunity in man. Arguably more is known about the immune system in mice than any other species except man. In large part this is due to the power of genetic engineering to delineate molecular mechanisms. In this volume we present an Overview to mouse immunology, including both the innate and adaptive immune systems, followed by 15 chapters, each dealing with a specific area of immunology in the mouse. These chapters illustrate the power of genetic engineering in dissecting each component of the immune response from the development of lymphoid tissues to signal transduction pathways in activated cells.

Many questions were raised during this multidisciplinary meeting during which geneticists, haematologists, embryologists, immunologists, transplant surgeons and physicians exchanged views on these questions. The second part of the meeting was devoted to an examination of the mechanisms of medullary deficiency. A more clinical approach was taken to the epidemiological, molecular and genetic aspects of medullary deficiency. There was also discussion of various therapeutic methods, including transplants, the use of haematopoietic growth factors, immunosuppressive treatments and gene therapy. Proceedings of the joint international workshop on "Foetal and neonatal hematopoiesis and mechanisms of bone marrow failure", Paris, April 1995.

This reference is completely revised and expanded to reflect the most critical studies, controversies, and technologies impacting the medical field, including probing research on lentivirus, gutless adenovirus, bacterial and baculovirus vectors, retargeted viral vectors, in vivo electroporation, in vitro and in vivo gene detection systems, and all inducible gene expression systems. Scrutinizing every tool, technology, and issue impacting the future of gene and cell research, it is specifically written and organized for laymen, scholars, and specialists from varying backgrounds and disciplines to understand the current status of gene and cell therapy and anticipate future developments in the field.