This book reviews the latest biotechnological advances with pluripotent stem cells, exploring their application in tissue engineering and medicinal chemistry. Chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as the production of transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), expansion, controlled differentiation and programming of pluripotent stem cells, and their genetic instability. Particular attention is given to the application of the pluripotent stem cells for vascularision of engineered tissue and for drug screening. This book will appeal to researchers working in regenerative medicine and drug discovery, and to bioengineers and professionals interested in stem cell research.

I am very pleased to present this volume on engineering stem cells in Advances in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. This volume stays abreast of recent developments in stem cell biology and the high expectations concerning the dev- opment of stem cell based regenerative therapies. Regenerative medicine is the focus of current biomedical research, with unique challenges related to scientific, technical and ethical issues of stem cell research, and the potential added value of connecting biomedicine with enabling techno- gies such as materials sciences, mechanical- and nano-engineering. Research activities in regenerative medicine include strategies in endogenous regeneration of injured or degenerated tissues by means of gene therapy or cell transplantation, as well as complex approaches to replace or reconstruct lost or malformed tissue structures, by applying tissue engineering approaches. In most cases, the speci- ized functional cell types of interest cannot be isolated from the diseased organ or expanded to a sufficient degree, and various stem and progenitor cell types rep- sent the only applicable cell source. In almost all cases, stem cells have to be engineered, sometimes for functional improvement, in many cases to produce large numbers of cells, and frequently to achieve efficient and specific differentiation in the cell type(s) of interest.

This book reviews the latest biotechnological advances with pluripotent stem cells, exploring their application in tissue engineering and medicinal chemistry. Chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as the production of transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), expansion, controlled differentiation and programming of pluripotent stem cells, and their genetic instability. Particular attention is given to the application of the pluripotent stem cells for vascularision of engineered tissue and for drug screening. This book will appeal to researchers working in regenerative medicine and drug discovery, and to bioengineers and professionals interested in stem cell research.

I am very pleased to present this volume on engineering stem cells in Advances in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. This volume stays abreast of recent developments in stem cell biology and the high expectations concerning the dev- opment of stem cell based regenerative therapies. Regenerative medicine is the focus of current biomedical research, with unique challenges related to scientific, technical and ethical issues of stem cell research, and the potential added value of connecting biomedicine with enabling techno- gies such as materials sciences, mechanical- and nano-engineering. Research activities in regenerative medicine include strategies in endogenous regeneration of injured or degenerated tissues by means of gene therapy or cell transplantation, as well as complex approaches to replace or reconstruct lost or malformed tissue structures, by applying tissue engineering approaches. In most cases, the speci- ized functional cell types of interest cannot be isolated from the diseased organ or expanded to a sufficient degree, and various stem and progenitor cell types rep- sent the only applicable cell source. In almost all cases, stem cells have to be engineered, sometimes for functional improvement, in many cases to produce large numbers of cells, and frequently to achieve efficient and specific differentiation in the cell type(s) of interest.

Industriepraktiker, Informatiker und Soziologen berichten uber ihre Konzepte und Erfahrungen bei der Entwicklung und dem Einsatz wissensbasierter Diagnosesysteme im Service-Support. Dabei wird Fachwissen zur Loesung von Kundenproblemen formalisiert und ggf. mit elektronisch bereits vorhandenen Dokumenten wie z.B. Handbuchern verknupft. Je nach betrieblicher Situation koennen Kunden so direkt uber das Internet oder uber die Hotline eines Intranets bei der Fehlerbehebung unterstutzt werden. Der Hauptaufwand besteht in der Entwicklung und Pflege der Wissensbasis. Um ihn zu verringern, werden eine Reihe bekannter und neuer Strategien vorgestellt. Dazu gehoeren Wissensformalisierungsmuster, Wissensmodularisierung durch kooperierende Diagnoseagenten, Selbstakquisition und begrenzte Systemeinsatze zur betrieblichen Einfuhrung. Die beigelegte CD-ROM enthalt zwei Tutorials und eine Demo-Version des Diagnostik-Shellbaukastens D3, mit der die Leser muhelos selber Prototypen entwickeln koennen.