Stem Cell Proliferation And Differentiation

Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Volume 138, the latest release in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors. Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors Presents the latest release in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series Includes the latest information on stem cell proliferation and differentiation

The body contains many cellular systems that require the continuous production of new, fully functional, differentiated cells to replace cells lacking or having limited self-renewal capabilities that die or are damaged during the lifetime of an individual. Such systems include the epidermis, the epithelial lining of the gut, and the blood. For example, erythrocytes (red blood cells) lack nuclei and thus are incapable of self-replication. They have a life span in the circulation of about 120 days. Mature granulocytes, which also lack proliferative capacity, have a much shorter life span - typically 12 hours, though this may be reduced to only two or three hours in times of serious tissue infection. Perhaps a more familiar example is the outermost layer of the skin. This layer is composed of fully mature, dead epidermal cells that must be replaced by the descendants of stem cells lodged in lower layers of the epidermis (cf. Alberts et al. , 1983). In total, to supply the normal steady-state demands of cells, an average human must produce approximately 3. 7 x 1011 cells a day throughout life (Dexter and Spooncer, 1987). Common to each of these cellular systems is a primitive (undifferentiated) stem cell which replenishes cells through the production of offspring, some of which proliferate and gradually differentiate until mature, fully functional cells are produced.

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.

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

Molecular Control of Proliferation and Differentiation documents the proceedings of the 35th symposium of The Society for Developmental Biology entitled "Molecular Control of Proliferation and Differentiation," held at Asilomar, Monterey Peninsula, California, June 8-11, 1976. The contributions made by researchers at the symposium are organized into seven parts. Part I presents a paper on cell communication in embryological development. Part II includes studies on growth factors, including fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor. Part III examines the factors affecting nerve cell differentiation and function. It includes papers on nerve growth factor and peptides as central nervous system neurotransmitters. Part IV focuses on cell interactions in blood cell development. It includes studies on factors affecting the differentiation of blood cells and the proliferation of hemopoietic stem cells in vitro. Part V examines cell interactions in the immune system. Part VI deals with cell interactions in organogenesis. Part VII covers the factors effecting differentiation in lower eukaryotes.

Factors operating in pluripotent cells -- Molecular mediators of Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) -- Insulin and germline proliferation in Caenorhabditis -- Generation of mature ß-cells from embryonic stem cells: What are we missing? -- Activation and regulation of reserve liver progenitor cells -- Adult cardiac-derived stem cells: differentiation and survival regulators -- TGF-Beta1 regulates differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells -- Maternal intake of folic acid and neural crest stem cells -- Modulation of the generation of dopaminergic neurons from human neural stem cells by Bcl-XL. Mechanisms of action -- Glucocorticoid hedgehog agonists in neurogenesis -- Effect of progesterone on human mesenchymal stem cells -- Regulation of muscle stem cell activation -- the role of growth factors and extracellular matrix -- Thymosins and muscle regeneration -- Micro RNAs and mesenchymal stem cells -- MicroRNA and vascular smooth muscle cells -- Transforming growth factor beta superfamily in mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal -- The biology of HIFa proteins in cell differentiation and disease -- Regulatory role of Klf5 in early mouse development and in embryonic stem cells -- Bam and Bgcn in Drosophila germ line stem cell differentiation -- The effects of mechanical loading on mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and matrix production.

This new book presents research developments from around the globe in the field of cellular differentiation which is a concept from developmental biology describing the process by which cells acquire a 'type'. The morphology of a cell may change dramatically during differentiation, but the genetic material remains the same, with few exceptions. A cell that is able to differentiate into many cell types is known as pluripotent. These cells are called stem cells in animals and meristematic cells in higher plants. A cell that is able to differentiate into all cell types is known as totipotent. In mammals, only the zygote and early embryonic cells are totipotent, while in plants, many differentiated cells can become totipotent with simple laboratory techniques.