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.

This entry in the series Pediatric Cancer offers comprehensive information on a variety of cancers, concentrating on brain tumors, the most common solid tumors and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. The contents are organized in seven sections: Neuroblastoma, Medulloblastoma, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Rhabdoid, Sarcoma and Miscellaneous Tumors. Coverage includes pediatric medulloblastoma, and treatments including craniospinal radiation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The contributors explain diagnosis and chemotherapy of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and diagnosis of bone marrow involvement in pediatric lymphoma patients. Ewing's sarcoma, a highly malignant connective tissue neoplasm formed by the proliferation of mesenchymal cells, receives extensive coverage, including targeting of molecular pathways and chemotherapy and surgical treatment. The roles of apoptotic genes, MYCN gene, MDM2, and SNP309, P13K inhibitors, alternative splicing and microRNAs, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule and inhibition by alu-like RNA in neuroblastoma are discussed in detail. The book explores the molecular genetics, diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of the atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT). Among the most common malignant neoplasms in children, AT/RT exhibits similarities with other CNS tumors, which can lead to misclassification, as pointed out in the book. The contributors discuss diagnosis of AT/RT type using imaging technology, and describe new strategies, including intensive multimodal therapy and high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation that have shown improved outcomes. Coverage of therapies includes total resection followed by aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. Discussion includes diagnosis and treatment of other pediatric tumors including adrenocortical tumors, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors, giant midline tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, ependymomas and intramedullary cavernoma. Pediatric Cancer: Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis, Volume 4 includes contributions by ninety-one contributors - oncologists, neurosurgeons, physicians, research scientists and pathologists - representing thirteen countries. The editor, M.A. Hayat, is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA.

Various aspects, including diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis, of two brain tumors (meningioma and schwannoma) , of brain tumors are discussed in this volume. Insights on the understanding of molecular pathways involved in brain tumor biology are explained. For example, the role of E-cadherin gene instability, carbonic anhydrase 11, urokinase plasminogen activator, and Wnt signaling is discussed in detail. Such information will lead to the development of effective aniicancer drugs. The role of molecular genetics and epigenetic mechanisms in schwannomas is explained. Also, is explained the role of cyclin D1 in vestibular schwannoma. The determination of subtypes of meningiomas using perfusion magnetic resonance imaging is explained. Diagnosis of incidentally discovered meningioma and cystic papillary meningioma is also included. Diagnosis of facial nerve schwannoma, vestibular schwannoma, and intermediate nerve schwannoma is explained. Treatments for atypical meningioma, oncocytic meneingioma, intracranial meningioma, and cavernous are presented. Therapeutic methods such as neurosurgery, Gamma knife radiosurgery, and adjuvant radiation for this cancer are included. Large number of other treatments, including radiosurgery, retrosigmoidal craniotomy, and immunotherapy, for vestibular schwannoma patients are detailed.

The difference among pluripotent stem cells, multipotent stem cells, and unipotent stem cells is pointed out. Vast therapeutic applications of the following specific stem cells in disease and tissue injury are discussed: human embryonic stem cells, human mesenchymal stem cells, germ cell-derived pluripotent stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, human umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells, breast tumor stem cells,and hematopoietic stem cells. Because of the potential of human embryonic stem cells to produce unlimited quantities of any human cell type, considerable focus is placed on their therapeutic potential. Because of their pluripotency, these cells have been used in various applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, pharmacological and toxicological studies, and fundamental studies of cell differentiation. The formation of embryoid bodies, which are three-dimensional aggregates of embryonic stem cells, is explained as this is the first step in cell differentiation. Such embryoid body culture has been widely used as a trigger for the in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells. The basic capacity of self-renewal of human embryogenic stem cells is explained. The role of TGF-beta in the propagation of human embryonic stem cells is discussed. The differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into neurons, hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, and retinal cells is fully explained. Donor policies for hematopoietic stem cells are also explained.

The seventh in Springer's landmark series of edited volumes on one of the highest-profile subjects in contemporary medicine and scientific endeavour, this volume sets out to cover a staggering range of research into the medical applications of stem cell research. While stem cells are the very stuff of life for multicellular organisms, including us humans, the cancer stem cell is a morbid entity with a robust resistance to therapies including conventional chemotherapy. This authoritative publication explains the regenerative potential of stem cells and their mesenchymal progeny, reviewing clinical applications of the latter in the treatment of cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative pathologies. It covers the entire range of stem cells with known potential for therapeutic use, from human embryonic to germ cell-derived pluripotent stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells. The chapters also deal with the role of TGF-beta in propagating human embryonic stem cells, and in facilitating their differentiation. Featuring discussions of molecular signaling pathways that modulate mesenchymal stem cell self-renewal and much more, this book is certain to have broad appeal among academicians and physicians alike.

Adding to a vitally important cycle of publications covering the latest research developments in our understanding of neoplasms affecting the human central nervous system, this edition focuses on numerous aspects of pineal, pituitary, and spinal tumors. As with the previous volumes in the series, this latest work addresses a central imperative in cancer research the need to standardize classifications, written definitions and investigative guidelines in order to achieve a measure of shared objectivity among academics engaged in one of the most important medical endeavors of our era. It brings together the very latest work by oncologists, neurosurgeons, physicians, research scientists, and pathologists, providing the medical community with a wealth of data and results that, taken together, will advance the cause of cancer research. The volume synthesizes work on diagnosis, drug development, and therapeutic approaches that are typically scattered in a variety of journals and books. It features promising recent work in applying molecular genetics to clinical practice and evidence-based therapy, covering molecular profiling of tumors as well as a number of surgical treatments such as resection and radiosurgery. Together with its counterpart publications, it represents a much-needed central resource that will inform and guide future research efforts."

Presenting contributions by 66 experts representing 13 countries, Volume 10 of the series Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells synthesizes current understanding of the causes, diagnosis, and therapy of major human diseases and debilitating tissue and organ injuries, using cell-based treatment. This volume presents contemporary research into generation, preservation, and uses of stem cells in fighting disease and tissue/organ injuries.

The contents of the volume are organized into five sections. Mesenchymal Stem Cells section includes chapters on the use of stem cells in bone regeneration, studies and trials of stem cells in autoimmune diseases, and differences between adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells as regulators of immune response. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells section offers chapters on drug discovery using human IPSC-based disease models, and on generation of antigen-specific lymphocytes from IPSCs. Neural Cells and Neural Stem Cells section discusses use of bacterial artificial chromosomes in the genetic identification of stem cell-derived neural cell types, and use of moderate low temperature to preserve the stemness of neural stem cells. The section, Role of Stem Cells in Disease, discusses stem cell support in high-dose chemotherapy of Non-Hodgkin s Lymphomas; potential targets for drug resistant leukemic stem cells, bone marrow stem cell therapies for diabetes mellitus. This section also discusses the use of stem cells in treating thyroid, breast and bone cancers, hempophilia and Parkinson s Disease. The section, Stem Cell Transplantation, includes chapters on reducing fungal infection in allogenic stem cell transplantation patients, use of Bulsufan/Fludarabine for conditioning in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and interleukin-7 receptor alpha polymorphisms in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

The editor, M.A. Hayat, is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological, Sciences at Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA.

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This volume contains information on the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of spinal tumors. Various aspects of different major types of spinal tumors (astrocytomas, ependymomas, and oligodendroglioma) are discussed. Insights into the understanding of molecular pathways involved in tumor biology are explained. Classification of intradural spinal tumors, including the percentages of each of the three major types, is detailed. Symptoms, radiological features, and clinicopathological parameters of spinal cord tumors are explained. Diagnosis, outcome, and prognosis of primary spinal cord and oligodendroglioma are discussed. Diagnosis of some other spinal tumors (e.g., pilomyxoid and chordomas) is also explained. The useful role of neuroimaging in diagnosing spinal teratoid/rhabdoid and gangliogliomas is included. A wide variety of treatments of a number of spinal cord tumor types are presented in detail. Therapies discussed include chemotherapy, surgery, radiosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, Cyberknife stereotactic radiotherapy, standard radiation alone, and rhenium-186 intracavity radiation. Also are duiscussed embolozation and spondylectomy. The usefulness of transplantation of human embryonic stem cells-derived oligodendrocyte progenitors and motoneuron progenitors in the repair of injured spinal cord is emphasized. Symptoms of the advent of spinal tumors are pointed out. Introduction to new technologies and their applications to spinal cord tumor diagnosis, treatment, and therapy assessment are explained.

With a particular emphasis on tumor dormancy in breast, lung, prostate, and liver cancers, as well as in melanoma, this first volume of a new Springer series focuses on the interrelationship between biological processes of aging and tumors -- both dormant and quiescent. With detail supplied by numerous international researchers at the forefront of cancer research, the book examines a host of differing aspects of the topic. Featured contributions analyze the role of the quiescent state in regulating hematopoietic and muscle stem cells. They also explore the mediation, by the kinase, in the reversible quiescent state of a subset of ovarian, pancreatic, and colon cancers. The book includes key research on the molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced cellular senescence, in addition to those governing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and the induction of premature senescence. It also provides information on suppressing cellular senescence in the most common, and most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor in humans, glioblastoma multiforme. With comprehensive and cutting-edge information on therapeutic interventions and on the correct diagnosis of relevant neoplasms, and with numerous color illustrations, this is the most up-to-date assessment of current medical knowledge in this crucial area of medical research.

The author's primary aim is to thoroughly explain the biochemical concepts governing cytochemical procedures for transmission electron microscopy. Such information provides undergraduate and graduate students, technicians, and researchers with a more profound understanding of electron micrographs, as well as the knowledge to refine existing techniques and develop new methodologies.

Histochemistry deals with the activities of chemical components in cells, and immunohistochemistry addresses the function of cell types in tissue or organs, such as those leading to acceptance or rejection of grafts or organs.

This book is a methods volume focusing on antigen retrieval, particularly methods used in disease-related antigens. Because the book is a methods volume and a lab manual, it will have an audience of pathologists, biochemists, and lab technicians.

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.

Volume 11 in this series discusses therapeutic applications of stem cells in disease and tissue injury. Coverage includes pluripotent stem cells, which can give rise to the endodermal, ectodermal, and mesodermal lineages; multipotent stem cells, which can generate all cells in a particular lineage and unipotent stem cells, which can give rise to only one cell type. This volume also examines cancer stem cells, tumor-initiating cells which possesses the capacity of self-renewal and can give rise to the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor. Coverage extends to molecular mechanisms underlying the derivation and expansion of human embryonic stem cells, the role of specific proteins in the maintenance and inhibition of extraembryonic differentiation of these cells and the role of signaling responsible for the self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells. Nine chapters discuss the clinical importance of cancer stem cells, encompassing glioma, leukemia, ovarian cancer, pediatric sarcomas and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The role of cancer stem cells is also elucidated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in spreading head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The book goes on to survey therapeutic application of stem cells of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic origin for regeneration of bones, including in osteoporotic bone disease; to illuminate the application of hematopoietic stem cells in bone regeneration and to discuss their use as a biomarker to facilitate determination of a treatment. The contributors review cells as biomarkers for pediatric solid tumors, and weigh the advantages and limitations of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Also included are details of neural stem cell engraftment in the injured spinal cord; the regenerative potential of neural stem/progenitor cells of newborns and cancer gene therapy potential using neural stem cells. Like the preceding volumes in the series, this book is distinguished for its comprehensive approach, its distinguished roster of 58 contributors representing 10 different countries and its thorough review of leading-edge technology and methods.

This third volume in the series Tumor Dormancy, Quiescence, and Senescence discusses the role of tumor dormancy and senescence in a number of diseases, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer and leukemia. The contents are organized under five subheadings: General Applications, Role in Breast Cancer, Role in Ovarian Cancer, Role in Leukemia and Role in Cardiovascular Disease. The first section includes basic information on the definition of dormancy, how cells become senescent and what they do, along with an appraisal of the current state of research on dormancy. Section Two explores dormancy in breast cancer, including the progression of hormone-dependent mammary tumors after dormancy. Section Three details the resistance of Type II ovarian tumors, in which the resistant tumor cell population persists after chemotherapy in a state of dormancy, with recurrent tumors arising upon transformation of such dormant cells back to malignant growth. This section explains how lineage, histological subtypes and grade influence the differential response of ovarian cancer resistance to platinum drugs. The fourth section explores leukemia, discussing regulation of the promyelocytic leukemia protein and its role in premature senescence. The final section explores the role of senescence and autophagy in age-related cardiovascular diseases and the observation that autophagy seems to retard cardiac senescence. Like the two preceding volumes in the series, Volume 3 stands out for its comprehensive approach, its roster of some 26 expert contributors representing seven different countries and its up-to-date review of leading-edge technology and methods.

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.

Introduction of new technologies and their applications to neuroblastoma diagnosis, treatment, and therapy assessment are explained. Role of molecular ghenetics in diagnosis and therapy for neuroblastoma patients is detailed. Molecular detection of minimal residual neuroblastoma is described. Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy are detailed for diagnosing this solid, extracranial cancer. Targets for therapeutic intervention in neuroblastoma are identified, including targeting multidrug resistance in this cancer. Ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines are novel targets for therapeutic intervention. The effectiveness of chemotherapy with oral irinotecan and temozolomide is explained. The role of transcription factors (GATA) in neuroblastoma pregression is also included.

This sixth volume in the series Methods of Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy, and Prognosis discusses Ovarian Cancer, Renal Cancer, Urogenitary Cancer, Urinary Bladder Cancer, Cervical Uterine Cancer, Skin Cancer, Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma and Sarcoma. Both standard and emerging therapies for these cancers, written by expert oncologists/pathologists in this field, are included. This fully illustrated volume Identifies biomarkers based on genetic alterations for clear cell ovarian adenocarcinoma. Identifies subgroups of ovarian cancer by using differential gene expression. Includes the application of the power-Doppler imaging for distinguishing benign from malignant complex adrenal masses in ovarian cancer. Emphasizes the advantage of using cytoreduction surgery for diagnosing advanced ovarian cancer. Provides details on the treatment of kidney cancer with radiofrequency ablation, surgery, and chemotherapy. Explains the use of immunohistochemistry for diagnosing adenomatoid tumor of the adrenal gland. Discusses the chemotherapy of testicular cancer and related second primary tumors. Includes the diagnosis of urothelial bladder cancer with urine-based tumor markers. Explains the use of immunohistochemistry and MRI for diagnosing uterine cervical cancer and describes the staging of this cancer using PET alone or PET/CT. Describes the localization of malignant melanoma using FDG-PET/CT. Explains the use of prognostic receptors for nonmelanoma skin cancer. Details the treatment of multiple myeloma using immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted radionuclide therapy. Presents diagnostic immunohistochemistry of synovial and Kaposi's sarcoma. The technological advances presented in this volume are expected to expedite new discoveries and their translation to clinical practice. The field of oncology will benefit the most from these advanced methods, as a combination of therapies and personalized medicine will improve early detection of thes

With tens of thousands of new CNS tumor cases each year in the US alone, this series of publications is a valuable aid to the diagnosis and treatment of these problematic neoplasms. Now, the eighth in the set returns to the topic of brain tumors, dealing with seven distinct types: astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, retinoblastoma, chordoma, craniopharyngioma, oligodendroglioma, and ependymoma. After updating the classification of medulloblastoma the volume provides an overview of ependymoma as well as describing the delineation of prognosis based on the genetic aberrations of the latter patients. The material offers key insights into the molecular pathways involved in tumor biology, such as the role of E-cadherin gene instability, carbonic anhydrase II, urokinase plasminogen activator, and Wnt signaling in meningioma. Contributors explain the genetic and clinical features associated with recurring meningioma, including the role played by erythropoietin receptor, and examine the way in which OTX2 transcription factor functions as an oncogene in medulloblastoma. With much more besides, including discussion of the molecular mechanisms that result in resistance to chemotherapy in medulloblastoma, this volume and its companions have a positive role to play in inspiring a new generation of researchers to design new drugs that are better targeted and thus more effective."

Volume 13: Pineal, Pituitary, and Spinal Tumors is organized in six sections, for convenience and quick access to critical information. Section I, Types of Tumors includes a chapter on molecular characterization of Embryonal tumors, a chapter on diagnosis of metastatic oligodendroglioma using fine-needle aspiration cytology, one covering intra-arterial chemotherapy of oligodendroglial tumors and another on the role of cyclooxygenase-2 in the development and growth of Schwannomas, and others, closing with a chapter on trigeminal neuralgia with cerebellopontine angle tumors. Section II, Diagnosis, includes two chapters on cell counting in histopathologic slides of tumors. Section III offers three chapters which discuss aspects of intraoperative ultrasonography. Section IV covers brain tumor surgery, and Section V surveys Brain Metastasis. The final section offers a wide-ranging review of General Diseases, with chapters on, among others, Alexander Disease; Lipoma; Transplantation of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells in cases of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage; and a chapter discussing the use of mobile phones and brain cancer risk in children. Like its twelve predecessors in the series, this volume merits distinction for its thorough approach, its roster of 78 distinguished contributors representing 14 different countries and its detailed examination of leading-edge technology and methods.

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.

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This is the first book devoted exclusively to the subject of immunogold-silver staining. This volume is authored by 47 distinguished scientist representing 12 countries. The primary objective of this book is to discuss principles, methods, and applications of IGSS.

A general introduction to the principles of diagnosis and treatment of children with brain tumors is presented. Molecular characterization of solid tumors is also presented. Molecular pathways provide putative targets for new therapies. High resolution magic spinning NMR spectroscopy is explained, which is used to determine metabolic profiles for small pieces of intact tissue and whole cells in culture. The differences between adult and pediatric brain tumors are outlined. It is emphasized that pediatric low-grade gliomas need lower doses of antidrugs such as cisplatin/etoposide. It is explained that tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes play a crucial role in the development and progression of human malignancies, including those in children. Neurofibromatosis type-1 is a common genetic disorder with a high prevalence in CNS abnormalities including tumors in children; which is discussed in detail. Various neuroradiological imaging modalities in children with leukemia are detailed. Also are detailed results of clinical trials in pediatric brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma, ependymoma, craniopharyngioma, low-grade glioma, high-grade glioma, brainstem glioma, and germ cell tumors, using radiotherapy. Considering the clinical importance of epilepsy in the primary brain tumors in children, its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments (surgery and antiepileptic drugs) are discussed.

This fresh addition to the rapidly expanding Springer series on stem cells represents an additional forward step in our understanding of the causes, diagnosis, and cell-related therapies of major human diseases as well as debilitating injuries to human tissue and organs. Showcasing the work of more than 80 contributors from 13 nations, it offers an unrivalled breadth of differing perspectives on the subject, with dedicated sections covering umbilical cord, induced pluripotent, embryonic, and hematopoietic stem cells, in addition to stem cells in tumors and cancer, and the applications of stem cells in regenerative medicine. Enhanced by numerous color illustrations and tables that provide graphic clarification and summaries of key results, the volume succeeds in bringing together research results from oncologists, neurosurgeons, physicians, research scientists, and pathologists, whose accumulated wealth of practical experience will inform and inspire further developments in the vital and urgent work of cancer diagnosis, cure, and prevention.

Brain tumors are the most common solid tumor of childhood as well as the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. This third volume of the Springer series discussing pediatric cancer focuses on diagnosing, treating, and assessing the future course of malignant brain neoplasms in children. In addition to a general introduction to the principals involved, the material includes vital research in molecular genetics, a major contribution to the molecular characterization of solid tumors, which will define new biomarkers of the disease and identify molecular pathways. Now it has become possible to achieve the goal of targeting new, more effective therapies to minimize the tragedy faced by children. This research features the application of molecular genetics in combating atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), a highly aggressive embryonal CNS tumor that is among the most common malignant neoplasms in children, with a peak occurrence in infants younger than three years old. Contributors also examine the reasons for the common misdiagnosis of AT/RT tumors as other types of CNS tumors. They help resolve this issue by indicating the details of an abnormality in the genetics of AT/RT, which is unique to AT/RT type. The INII gene on chromosome 22q11 is involved in the AT/RT. The presence of this gene and the SMARCB1 is discussed. In addition to discussing these important topics, the volume includes presentations of present and future therapies. The volume also explains AT/RT's dissemination to the cerebral fluid, the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of medulloblastoma, and the importance of gamma knife radiosurgery during multimodality management of medulloblastoma/PNET tumors. Other topics discussed include using magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing retinoblastoma, and mapping the effects of radiotherapy in low-grade glioma in children. Information on alterations in cell-cycle regulators that are influenced by tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes is detailed. Contributors provide recommendations concerning non-narcotic analgesic routines for children recovering from cranial and spinal surgery. The practical knowledge of frontier-expanding research presented leads this authoritative volume to be a compelling addition to the literature.

In this second volume in the series exploring Tumor Dormancy, Quiescence, and Cellular Senescence, discussion is focused on the role of tumor dormancy in diseases such as breast cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, liver cancer and lung cancer. M. A. Hayat, the series editor, writes in the preface that little is known of factors regulating the transition of residual cancer into a dormant state or the subsequent reinitiation of growth. A majority of us, he says, have in situ tumors that may remain dormant or may progress into a lethal form of cancer; the former are prevented from recruiting their own blood supply. Section I covers Molecular Mechanisms, with chapters on the role of NAE inhibitor MLN4924; oncogene-induced senescence; the role played by mitogen-activated protein kinase in the induction of cellular senescence; mechanisms of premature cell senescence and other topics. Section II examines Tumor and Cancer, discussing defects in chromatin structure and diseases; the role of fibrosis in tumor progression and the dormant to proliferative switch; the function of ING proteins in cancer and senescence and more. The final section is devoted to Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells, featuring chapters showing that senescent-derived pluripotent stem cells are able to redifferentiate into fully rejuvenated cells; that the transcription factor Gata2 regulates quiescence in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells; and discussing dormancy and recurrence of cancer stem cells in bone. The contributors point out that the quiescent state regulates hematopoietic stem cells and muscle stem cells, and detail the role of kinase in the mediation of reversible quiescent state in a subset of ovarian, pancreatic, and colon cancers. Molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced cellular senescence and accumulation of reactive oxygen species and induction of premature senescence are also presented. Discussion includes the important role of microRNAs in oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and senescence and the effect of microRNA as a modulator of cell proliferation in lung cancer. The book includes an explanation of the suppression of cellular senescence in glioblastoma brain tumor. Taking a broad and varied perspective, this volume was written by 70 contributors representing 11 countries.