Stem Cells And Cancer Stem Cells Volume 8

It is my hope that subsequent volumes of the series will join this volume in assisting in the more complete understanding of the causes, diagnosis, and cell-based treatment of major human diseases and debilitating tissue/organ injuries. There exists a tremendous, urgent demand by the public and the scientific community to address to cancer diagnosis, treatment, cure, and hopefully prevention. Stem Cells are nature’s indispensable gift to multicellular organisms, including humans. The contents of the volume are divided into six subheadings: Stem Cell Culture, Bone Marrow Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Reprogramming and Differentiation of Stem Cells, Treatment, and Transplantation for the convenience of the readers.

It is pointed out that cancer stem cell is a cell type within a tumor that possesses the capacity of cell-renewal and can give rise to the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor. It is emphasized that a cancer stem cell is a tumor initiating cell. That conventional chemotherapy kills most cells in a tumor, but cancer stem cells remain intact is discussed. Vast applications of stem cells, cancer stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and human pluripotent stem cells are discussed. Because human embryonic stem cells possess the potential of producing unlimited quantities of any human cell type, considerable focus is placed on their therapeutic potential in this volume. Because of the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells, this volume discusses various applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, pharmacological and toxicological uses. The role of these cells in cell differentiation is also included. The role of cancer stem cells of breast, colon, and melanoma tumors in response to antitumor therapy is detailed. The role of cancer stem cells, specifically in the deadliest brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, is explained. Transplantation of bone marrow-derived stem cells for myocardial infarcation and use of mesenchymal stem cells in orthopedics are described.

Difference between tissue specific stem cells and embryonic stem cells is explained. The advantages of the latter are included. The application of human pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and hematopoietic stem cells in cancer therapy and tissue/organ regeneration is detailed. Role of neural cancer stem cells in brain tumors, including their role in brain tumor therapy and the role of CD133 stem cell antigen in glioma patients, is emphasized. Therapeutic role of bone marrow-derived stem cells in myocardial infarction and the role of mesenchymal stem cells in orthopedics are explained. Transplantation of umbilical cord hematopoietic stem cells and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation followed by graft-versus-host disease are presented. Role of cancer stem cells specifically in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma is included. It is also emphasized that CD133 is an appropriate stem cell marker for gliomas. Targeting of cancer cells is also explained.

It is pointed out that a cancer stem cell is a type within a tumor that possesses the capacity of self-renewal and can give rise to the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells, which comprise the tumor. It is emphasized that a unique feature of cancer stem cells is that, although conventional chemotherapy kills most cells in a tumor, cancer stem cells remain intact. Vast applications of the following specific stem cells in disease and tissue injury are discussed: embryonic stem cells, human mesenchymal stem cells, cancer stem cells, arterial stem cells, neural stem cells, cardiac stem cells, dental stem cells, limbal stem cells, and hematopoietic stem cells. Because human embryonic stem cells possess the potential to produce unlimited quantities of any human cell type, considerable focus is placed on their therapeutic potential in this volume. These cells are used in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, pharmacological and toxicological studies, and fundamental studies of cell differentiation. It is pointed out that the formation of embryoid bodies, which are three-dimensional aggregates of embryonic cells, is the initial step in the differentiation of these cells. Therapeutic implications of signalling pathways in cancer stem cells are pointed out. Targeting self-renewal pathways in cancer stem cells are also included. Application of mesenchymal stem cells for treating ischemic brain injury is explained. Neural stem cells proliferation into the surrounding area of the traumatic brain injury is explained.

Volume 12 in this series explores the latest experimental and clinical uses of stem cells in the treatment of disease and of injuries and reviews methods for isolating multipotent endothelial-like cells from human adipose tissue and discusses clinical applications in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. The book is organized in five parts: Cancer Stem Cells, Pluripotent Stem Cells, Dendritic Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine and General Applications. The first section includes chapters on histamine in the neural and cancer stem cell niches and emerging concepts of stem cell organization in the normal lung and in lung cancer. The section on Pluripotent Stem Cells includes discussion of the differentiation of dendritic cells from human induced pluripotent stem cell and the molecular mechanisms involved in reprogramming human somatic cells to generate induced pluripotent stem cells. Additional chapters cover the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into functional cardiomyocytes, characteristics of satellite cells and multipotent adult stem cells in the skeletal muscle. The section on Dendritic Stem Cells explores the critical role of notch signaling in the differentiation and function of dendrite. Other chapters cover hypertensive emergencies in children after stem cell transplantation and overcoming the radio resistance of lung cancer stem cells. The section on Regenerative Medicine reports on experiments on improved renal revascularization in pigs using stem cells and phenotypic correction of murine Hemophilia A using cell-based therapy. The concluding section, General Applications, discusses such topics as methods in mathematical modeling for stem cells, as well as molecular and functional characterization of human adipocytes. Like its eleven predecessors in the series, this volume stands out for its comprehensive approach, its roster of some 51 expert contributors representing a dozen different countries and its up-to-date review of leading-edge technology and methods.

This is the thirteenth volume in a series which presents current understanding of stem cells and cancer stem cells. This book presents many relevant topics including the different sources of cancer stem cells: the features, roles and clinical potential of stem cells emerge from engaging with this comprehensive work. Chapters explore molecular mechanisms underlying human somatic cell reprogramming to generate induced pluripotent stem cells and provide expert discussion of the advantages and limitations of applications of some of the stem cell types (pluripotent stem cells, neural stem cells). Many advances are explored, including the importance of stem cell markers in diagnosis, the role of stem cells in angiogenesis and a method for isolating multi potent endothelial-like cells from human adipose tissue, to name a few. Readers will also find a consideration of mathematical models and other quantitative tools which could facilitate research and discovery in the field. The editor’s preface to the book and the series is particularly helpful in introducing the work presented in this volume. The detailed overviews, practical experience and insights of international expert authors presented in this handbook will be of value to both professional practitioners and scholars in basic research.

This book summarizes the latest findings about the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in cancer biology and how this knowledge could be used for novel anticancer therapies. It provides an overview of CSCs in selected malignancies with particular emphasis on hematopoietic neoplasias. It then reviews the role of CSCs in metastasis formation and initiation of cancer relapses. It also examines the dark side of cancer therapy such as conventional cancer therapies that may lead to the origin of recurrence CSCs. Finally, it supplies a brief overview of current concepts that may allow for a selective eradication of CSCs.

Vast therapeutic applications of the following specific stem cells in disease and tissue injury are discussed: embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, human hair follicle stem cells, bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived stem cells, periodontal/progenitor cells, cancer stem cells, and breast cancer stem cells. Because human embryonic stem cells possess the potential to produce unlimited quantities of any human cell type, considerable focus is placed on this type of stem cells in this volume. The role of cancer stem cells, specifically in breast cancer is explained. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells to aid the injured brain is included. Immune recovery after stem cells transplantation in severe combined immunodeficiency patients is described. The role of mesenchymal stem cells in enhancing the growth and metastasis of colon cancer is discussed. Clinical application of human follicle stem cells is presented. Treatment of malignant gliomas using genetically-modified neural stem cells as a marker is discussed. The impact of cancer stem cell hypothesis on designing new cancer therapies is explained. In the field of regenerative medicine, the use of stem cells in the repair of the central nervous system, tendon injury, and as a cardiac regenerative medicine is described. The role of DNA methylation in maintaining stemness induced pluripotent stem cells from human extraembryonic amnion cells is discussed. Insights on the understanding of molecular pathways involved in tumor biology are explained, which lead to the development of effective drugs. Information on pathways, such as hedgehog, facilitates targeted therapies in cancer.