This volume looks at the state-of-the-science in stem cells, discusses the current challenges, and examines the new directions the field is taking. Dr. Turksen, editor-in-chief of the journal "Stem Cell Reviews and Reports," has assembled a volume of internationally-known scientists who cover topics that are both clinically and research-oriented. The contents range from sources of stem cells through their physiological role in health and disease, therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine, and ethics and society. An initial overview and a final summary bookend the contents into a cohesive and invaluable volume.

Intracellular cell signaling is a well understood process. However, extracellular signals such as hormones, adipokines, cytokines and neurotransmitters are just as important but have been largely ignored in other works. They are causative agents for diseases including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis so offer new, and often more approachable, targets for drug design. Aimed at medical professionals and pharmaceutical specialists, this book integrates extracellular and intracellular signalling processes and offers a fresh perspective on new drug targets. Written by colleagues at the same institution, but with contributions from leading international authorities, it is the result of close cooperation between the authors of different chapters. Readers are introduced to a new approach to disease causation by adipokines and toxic lipids. Heart disease, migraines, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis are approached from the perspective of prevention and treatment by alteration of extracellular signalling. Evidence is presented that the avoidance of toxic lifestyles can reduce the incidence of such illnesses and new therapeutic targets involving adipokines, ceramide and endocannabinoids are discussed.

The cerebral cytoskeleton, considered to be the working horse in brain tissues, becomes particularly important when degenerative diseases of the nervous system are considered. The Cytoskeleton: Imaging, Isolation, and Interaction assembles chapters on general aspects of the cytoskeleton, which are helpful for polishing knowledge of the cytoskeleton in a brief and informative way, and these pieces are flanked by a collection of detailed protocols on diverse emerging techniques including in vivo and in vitro imaging of the cytoskeleton at work as well as proteomics methodologies addressing preparative strategies for the isolation of cytoskeletal components of the central nervous system. Written for the popular Neuromethods series, this work contains the kind of meticulous descriptions and implementation advice to guarantee successful results. Authoritative and cutting-edge, The Cytoskeleton: Imaging, Isolation, and Interaction provides a compilation of papers written by a team of experts which aims to strengthen our efforts at overcoming at least some of the fatal outcomes of the diseased brain cytoskeleton.

Natural Killer (NK) cells are large granular lymphocytes of the innate immune system. They are widespread throughout the body, being present in both lymphoid organs and non-lymphoid peripheral tissues. NK cells are involved in direct innate immune reactions against viruses, bacteria, parasites and other triggers of pathology, such as malignant transformation, all of which cause stress in affected cells. Importantly, NK cells also link the innate and adaptive immune responses, contributing to the initiation of adaptive immune responses and executing adaptive responses using the CD16 FcgRIIIA immunoglobulin Fc receptor. Such responses are mediated through two major effector functions, the direct cytolysis of target cells and the production of cytokines and chemokines. The authors focus here on the nature of recognition events by NK cells and address how these events are integrated to trigger these distinct and graded effector functions.

N-acetylaspartate (NAA), the acetylated form of the amino acid aspartate, is one of the most highly concentrated chemicals in the brains of humans, yet its function remains elusive. NAA is used in nonsurgical analyses of nerve cell dysfunction, and it is implicated in a disorder known as Canavan 's disease. This book reviews research from around the world in the study of NAA, and the roles it plays in neuronal development and functioning.

Engineered MSCs from Patient-Specific iPS Cells, by Irina Eberle, Mohsen Moslem, Reinhard Henschler, Tobias Cantz

Fate of Intravenously Injected Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Significance for Clinical Application, by Beate Wagner, Reinhard Henschler

The Implications of Stem Cell Applications for Diseases of the Respiratory System, by Mei Ling Lim, Philipp Jungebluth, Paolo Macchiarini

Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Applications in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, by Birgit Weyand, Peter M. Vogt

General Principles for the Regeneration of Bone and Cartilage, by Michael Jagodzinski, C. Haasper

Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells Explored in the Dental Field, by K. M. Fawzy El-Sayed, C. Dorfer, F. Fandrich, F. Gieseler, M. H. Moustafa, H. Ungefroren

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy and Lung Diseases, by Khondoker M. Akram, Sohel Samad, Monica Spiteri, Nicholas R. Forsyth

Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Cellular Immunotherapeutics in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, by Claudia Papewalis, Daniela Topolar, Barbara Gotz, Stefan Schonberger, Dagmar Dilloo
New Cell-Based Therapy Paradigm: Induction of Bone Marrow-Derived Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells into Pro-Inflammatory MSC1 and Anti-inflammatory MSC2 Phenotypes, by Aline M. Betancourt

Interactions Between Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Dendritic Cells, by Grazia Maria Spaggiari, Lorenzo Moretta

MSC and Tumors: Homing, Differentiation, and Secretion Influence Therapeutic Potential, by Naomi D souza, Jorge Sans Burns, Giulia Grisendi, Olivia Candini, Elena Veronesi, Serena Piccinno, Edwin M. Horwitz, Paolo Paolucci, Pierfranco Conte, Massimo Dominici

Sources of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Current and Future Clinical Use, by Michela Pozzobon, Martina Piccoli, Paolo De Coppi

Role of the EU Framework in Regulation of Stem Cell-Based Products, by Giovanni Migliaccio, Cristina Pintus

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Our understanding of cancer is slowly undergoing a revolution, allowing for the development of more effective treatments. For the first time ever, the death rate from cancer is showing a steady decline ... but the 'War on Cancer' has hardly been won. In The Cancer Code, Dr Jason Fung offers a revolutionary new understanding of this invasive, often fatal disease - what it is, how it manifests and why it is so challenging to treat. In this rousing narrative, Dr Fung identifies the medical community's many missteps in cancer research - in particular, its focus on genetics, or what he terms the 'seed' of cancer, at the expense of examining the 'soil,' or the conditions under which cancer flourishes. Dr Fung - whose ground-breaking work in the treatment of obesity and diabetes has won him international acclaim - suggests that the primary disease pathway of cancer is caused by the dysregulation of insulin. In fact, obesity and type 2 diabetes significantly increase an individual's risk of cancer. In this accessible read, Dr Fung provides a new paradigm for dealing with cancer, with recommendations for what we can do to create a hostile soil for this dangerous seed. One such strategy is intermittent fasting, which reduces blood glucose, lowering insulin levels. Another, eliminating intake of insulin-stimulating foods, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates. For hundreds of years, cancer has been portrayed as a foreign invader we've been powerless to stop. By reshaping our view of cancer as an internal uprising of our own healthy cells, we can begin to take back control. The seed of cancer may exist in all of us, but the power to change the soil is in our hands.

An innovative theory proposes a new therapeutic strategy to break the stalemate in the war on cancer. It is called cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, and Lucie Laplane offers a comprehensive analysis, based on an original interdisciplinary approach that combines biology, biomedical history, and philosophy. Rather than treat cancer by aggressively trying to eliminate all cancerous cells-with harmful side effects for patients-CSC theory suggests the possibility of targeting the CSCs, a small fraction of cells that lie at the root of cancers. CSCs are cancer cells that also have the defining properties of stem cells-the abilities to self-renew and to differentiate. According to this theory, only CSCs and no other cancer cells can induce tumor formation. To date, researchers have not agreed on the defining feature of CSCs-their stemness. Drawing from a philosophical perspective, Laplane shows that there are four possible ways to understand this property: stemness can be categorical (an intrinsic property of stem cells), dispositional (an intrinsic property whose expression depends on external stimuli), relational (an extrinsic property determined by a cell's relationship with the microenvironment), or systemic (an extrinsic property controlled at the system level). Our ability to cure cancers may well depend upon determining how these definitions apply to different types of cancers.

The Handbook is intended to be a service to the neuroscience community, to help in finding available and useful information, to point out gaps in our knowledge, and to encourage continued studies. It represents the valuable contributions of the many authors of the chapters and the guidance of the editors and most important, it represents support for research in this discipline. Based on the rapid advances in the years since the second edition

Aging of somatic stem cells reduces cell function and results in dysfunctional organs and tissues, making it an underlying cause of diseases associated with aging. It might even be the primary cause for age-associated attrition of tissue function in organs that heavily rely on stem cells for maintaining homeostasis, like the skin, blood and intestines. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved is critical for developing approaches to attenuate stem cell aging and could pave the way for improved quality of life among the elderly. Written by highly prominent experts in the field, this book presents the current state of knowledge on these mechanisms. It offers insights into stem cell function, explains in detail the mechanisms of stem cell aging in model organisms as well as mammalian systems and describes related diseases and approaches to attenuating stem cell aging or achieving rejuvenation. The book is intended for all scientists and clinicians working with stem cells, aging mechanisms or age-related diseases.

The biochemistry and cell biology of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are not necessarily straightforward, but basic information on the history of these enzymes, their various functions that extend far beyond the cleaving of the extracellular matrix, and the complex mechanisms that control their expression are valuable to both scientists and clinicians. This volume summarizes the salient features and functions of MMPs and applies this information in a practical manner in order to understand how they contribute to normal physiology and pathology of selected diseases. Chapters by noted clinicians Jean-Michel Dayer, MD in rheumatology, Jian Cao, MD in oncology, and Peter Libby, MD in cardiology, represent important practical and clinically-oriented contributions.

Mitochondrial Case Studies: Underlying Mechanisms and Diagnosis offers the science behind mitochondrial disease with a case studies approach. Since mitochondrial diseases are diverse and influenced by genetic, environmental, and social-economic factors, this publication will help students, physicians, scientists, health care students, and families recognize and accurately diagnose mitochondrial disease and learn about potential treatments.

No further information has been provided for this title.

This new volume of "Methods in Enzymology" continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. This is the first of three volumes on hydrogen peroxide and cell signaling, and includes chapters on such topics as photooxidation of amplex red to resorufin, boronate-based fluorescent probes, and visualization of intracellular hydrogen peroxide with HyPer.
Continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field Covers hydrogen peroxide and cell signalingContains chapters on such topics as photooxidation of amplex red to resorufin, boronate-based fluorescent probes, and visualization of intracellular hydrogen peroxide with HyPer

Focused on stem cell applications, this book bridges the fields of biomaterials, offering new insights into constructing and regenerating tissues and organs. Its unique feature is linking diseases of the human body to current thinking on how to deal with them in the context of current concepts and technologies by means of an in-depth focus on biomaterials. The book assembles recent advances and covers a range of topics related to stem cell biology, biomaterials and technological approaches such as bioreactors written by top researchers in the field. Stem cells of both embryonic and adult origin are discussed with applications ranging, but not limited to, nerve regeneration, liver, pancreas, skin, trachea, cartilage and bone repair and cardiovascular therapy. Developments in the field reflecting the design and construction of the human body and its principal anatomy are discussed from a materials point of view. The book will be a valuable tool for biomaterial scientists, tissue engineers, clinicians as well as stem cell biologists involved in basic research and applications of adult and embryonic stem cells. It will also be a source of reference for students in biotechnology, biomedical engineering, biology, biochemistry, materials sciences, pharmaceuticals, and veterinary and human medicine.

Stem cells potentially offer a novel therapeutic platform to treat bone disease. They also help the scientist understand the molecular and cellular aetiology of bone disorders. Gaining knowledge on the nature and application of stem cell sciences is a prerequisite for understanding their potential in treating or preventing bone disorders. Stem Cells and Bone Tissue is designed to address these areas in three sections: Introductory Text and Sources of Stem Cells for Skeletal Tissue Cellular and Molecular Aspects Conditions, Applications, Treatments and Repairs Coverage includes general aspects of stems cells, sources of stems cells, isolation and purification, applications in regeneration, nanoscale topography, myostatin (GDF-8) signalling, c-Jun, Lnk, cell-derived Factor 1/CXCR4, chromatin remodelling, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypophosphatasia, osteopetrosis, osteogenesis, and many other areas of merit too numerous to mention.

This new volume of "Methods in Enzymology" continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. This volume covers G protein coupled receptors, and includes chapters on such topics as GPCR modelling, interactions with other molecules, virtual screening and GPCR activation.

Continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field Covers G protein coupled receptors Contains chapters on such topics as GPCR modelling, interactions with other molecules, virtual screening and GPCR activation.

Astrocytes play diverse roles in central nervous system (CNS) function and dysfunction, and the connections that the astrocyte makes with other cells of the brain are essential for a variety of important neural tasks. Bringing together contributions from international experts at the top of their field, Astrocytes: Wiring the Brain emphasizes cellular connections and surveys the most current findings on astrocyte activity. The first section of the book identifies major astrocyte biomarkers and describes how they define the different connectivity domains. Next, the book examines the role of these connections. It explains how their function can be manipulated under physiological conditions and how dysfunction of the connectivity leads to aberrant brain performance. The final section explores the alterations of glia that have been observed in specific diseases of the brain. These include epilepsy, autoimmune encephalitis, Alzheimer's disease, autism, and major depression. The book identifies key mechanisms responsible for these alterations. An important and emerging field, astrocytes and their functions are critical to neuroscientists and neurologists, both in academia and in industry, particularly in the search for and development of new drugs to combat a variety of diseases affecting the CNS. As research continues to grow in this area, this volume will spur heightened advances and understanding into the effects of these neural cells on a range of pathologies.

Ion channels play a vital role in basic physiological functions such as generation of electrical activity in nerves and muscle, control of cardiac excitability, intracellular signaling, hormone secretion, cell proliferation and many other biological processes. Because of their prevalence and the critical role they play in virtually all tissue types and organs, ion channels are also involved in a number of pathophysiological conditions. The aim of this volume is to review recent advances in the field of ion channel related diseases. Following an overview chapter summarizing the current state of ion channel screening technologies, five topics covering areas such as cancer, cardiac arrhythmias, cystic fibrosis, and pain have been selected, and the current state of knowledge is presented by leading experts in their field. Each chapter is structured to cover the biological rationale for the target, the current status in the development of agents to treat the disease, and future prospects and challenges facing each therapeutic area. The reader will receive a critical overview covering the progress made in the rapidly developing and complex field of ion channels and diseases.

Surgery continues to be the most effective treatment of solid tumors in terms of recovery, while its combination with other treatments improves the survival curves especially in the advanced forms of the disease. The aim of my task first of all has been to provide readers with both the current and constantly evolving pathophysiologic knowledge required for building the foundation of a specific education enabling surgeons to meet the fundamental targets in surgical oncology. Secondly, this volume aims to present an update on the real possibilities offered by the cooperation between surgeon and pathologist and by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and gene therapy in the treatment of tumors in the light of the most recent scientific achievements. Lastly, the report presents the experiences and cases drawn mostly from our School regarding some of the major issues in oncologic surgery. This overview does not pretend to elucidate or to summarize all aspects of oncologic surgery, but rather to be the result of a general consideration on cancer surgery, on its rational bases, on its interaction with other treatment modalities, on its desirable and expected developments and on its probable future evolution.

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein belonging to the transferrin family. It acts as a defense in host animals against microbes and viruses, since it has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial and antiviral activities. Lactoferrin has been shown to regulate the growth and differentiation of many types of cells. The results of recent studies indicate that lactoferrin is a potent regulator of dermal fibroblasts, and promotes cutaneous wound healing. The collagen gel contraction, a model of wound contraction during wound healing process, and migration of human fibroblasts were enhanced by lactoferrin. LRP-1 (LDL Receptor related Protein-1) acts as a signaling receptor for lactoferrin that mediate fibroblast response to lactoferrin by activating ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, lactoferrin promotes biosynthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) component such as type-I collagen and hyaluronan. Hyaluronan is a major component of ECM in connective tissue and promotes wound healing. The promoting effect of lactoferrin on hyaluronan production was accompanied by promotion of HAS2 (hyaluronan synthase 2) expression. These observations suggest that lactoferrin promotes the wound healing by providing an ECM that promotes fibroblast migration. Lactoferrin is also known for its anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties. According to recent in vivo study, lactoferrin promotes wound repair by promoting the early inflammatory phase of wound healing. Based on this, recombinant human lactoferrin was subsequently tested clinically in a Phase II trial in patients with diabetic ulcers and was found to be effective. Lactoferrin should be further evaluated in patients with diabetic and other types of ulcers.

Kruppel-like factors (KLFs) are attracting great attention across a wide spectrum of biological sciences and medicine because of their remarkable biological potency and the diversity of roles they play in the physiological and pathological changes of cells and tissues. This book is a comprehensive compendium of the latest research on the molecular mechanisms of KLFs, describing their roles in transcriptional regulation, cellular differentiation and development, the pathogenesis of the liver and cardiovascular systems and cancer, and generation of ES cells and iPS cells. As the only concise treatise written to date by leading experts in the field, it serves as an authoritative review of this family of molecules and is an essential reference for all who are interested in KLFs. The book also explores the potential of KLFs as targets for novel therapeutics and diagnostics, and will be invaluable in those fields.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) biology has been studied for more than 4 decades and the cells have been investigated for potential clinical applications for more than 15 years. Progress has become exponential over the past decade due mainly to the broad therapeutic potential of these cells. However, MSC studies have also been subject to controversy and increasing scrutiny as new mechanisms of action are reported and ever-expanding therapeutic applications pursued. In this book, leading authorities from all over the world, who are actively involved in this field, provide state-of-the-art knowledge of the basic biology, translational requirements and latest clinical experience with MSCs. This cutting edge book is the ideal resource for scientists and clinicians interested in pursuing an important and rapidly developing field of research that will eventually help patients and address urgent unmet medical needs. Features include: coverage of the biology of MSCs, latest understanding of mechanisms of action, and role in tissue homeostasis and regeneration; identifying the potential of MSCs in proceeding from bench to bedside from regulatory, GMP production, ethical and safety aspects; and critical analysis of clinical studies and the potential of MSCs to treat a wide variety of human diseases and tissues.

Cellular Therapy for Neurological Injury discusses the current status of cellular therapy for neurological disorders. The primary areas of focus include traumatic brain injury, stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), and spinal cord injury. The book explores cell therapy approaches to these and other conditions, while discussing current advances and a literature review in the context of a field that is moving rapidly. The book presents a translational focus, addressing barriers and opportunities to moving forward. The mechanisms of injury are explored, as well as how these mechanisms influence the type of cell therapy used, the route of delivery, and dosing regimen. Written by leaders in the field, this is an invaluable resource for clinicians and researchers alike.