Adult Stem Cells / Edition 1

by Kursad Turksen

Overview

Studies on stem cells have been attracting intense scientific and p- lic attention, not only because of controversies surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells but also because of very provocative data that have been emerging on adult stem cells. Much of the public attention and debate has been focused on the possibility that adult stem cells may be used as a substitute for human embryonic stem cells or as a justification for stopping work on them. This has somewhat dim- ished attention on very heated scientific debates that take us to the very heart of how the concept of stem cells is perceived. To this author, the latter debates have not been unlike certain philosophical debates of the last century. Since the seminal studies of Till and McCulloch in the 1960s, the popular paradigm on adult stem cells has been that lineage-restricted stem cells are derived from pluripotent stem cells very early during development. To many, and consistent with much data, the restriction to particular lineages was considered absolute. In other words, there was a sense of determinism in the stem quality of particular stem cells: once they were allocated, they were programmed to specific roles in a given tissue. Furthermore, some adult tissues were considered devoid of detectable stem cell presence or activity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781588291523
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	01/27/2004
Edition description:	2004
Pages:	346
Product dimensions:	0.00(w) x 0.00(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Dr. Kursad Turksen is a stem-cell biologist with a passion for understanding epidermal stem cells' commitment and differentiation and their utility in regeneration. He has also been interested in the role of the Claudin family of tight junction proteins in cell lineage analysis and differentiation. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, as well as the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine book series.

Table of Contents

1 • Adult Stem Cell Plasticity.- 2 • Spermatogonial Stem Cells.- 3 • Stem Cells in Skeletal Muscle.- 4 • Gene Therapy Using Muscle-Derived Stem Cells.- 5 • Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells: Characterization and Developmental Potential.- 6 • Epithelial Stem/Progenitor Cells in Thymus Organogenesis.- 7 • Adult Liver Stem Cells.- 8 • Endothelial Progenitor Cells.- 9 • Prostate Epithelial Stem Cells.- 10 • Mammary Epithelial Stem Cells.- 11 • From Marrow to Brain.- 12 • Adult Retinal Stem Cells.- 13 • Multipotentiality of Iris Pigment Epithelial Cells in Vertebrate Eye.- 14 • Stem Cell Biology of the Inner Ear and Potential Therapeutic Applications.- 15 • Engineering the In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment for the Control and Manipulation of Adult Stem Cell Responses.- 16 • Stem Cells As Common Ancestors: Somatic Cell Phylogenies From Somatic Sequence Alterations.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Bruce A. Fenderson, PhD (Thomas Jefferson University)
Description: This book provides a comprehensive review of the field of adult stem cell research. This is an exciting new field of study, with potential application to transplantation biology, cancer biology, and regenerative medicine. This book includes 12 chapters on diverse topics ranging from spermatogenic stem cells, to adult liver stem cells, to mammary epithelial stem cells. Each author describes the identification, characterization and therapeutic utility of these rare tissue-specific, multipotential stem cells.
Purpose: The overall goal of this book is to provide experienced and novice investigators the background information, essential laboratory findings, and key references necessary to conduct research in this field. Broad concepts and methodology are woven together. The contributions are up-to-date and provide readers with an overview of this emerging field. This is an important contribution to the literature.
Audience: This book is written for basic science and clinical researchers at all stages of training. Medical students, graduate students, and established investigators will enjoy reading it. The authors of the individual chapters are all experts in their field of study.
Features: This beautiful, hardcover book features glossy pages, exquisite color plates, and expert technical writing. Chapters include informative line drawings, photomicrographs, and an extensive bibliography. The diversity of topics will certainly capture the attention of a wide audience of readers. The book is compact and very readable.
Assessment: I enjoyed this book, and was surprised by the attention focused on different types of adult stem cells. The topic is timely. This book hopefully will be a stimulus for new researchers to enter the field. My only reservation is that the organ systems covered represent only partial picture of this rapidly expanding field. For example, it would have been useful to learn more about mesenchymal stem cells present in cord blood or multipotential stem cells in the brain. Controversy regarding evidence for plasticity in adult stem cell populations also was not addressed to my satisfaction. The potential for somatic cell fusion events makes the interpretation of stem cell transplantation studies difficult to interpret. This is a very readable book. The diversity of topics and attention to detail will make this useful to investigators interested in stem cell replication and differentiation.

Doody's Review Service

3 Stars from Doody

"This beautiful, hardcover book features glossy pages, exquisite color plates, and expert technical writing. Chapters include informative line drawings, photomicrographs, and an extensive bibliography. The diversity of topics will certainly capture the attention of a wide audience of readers. The book is compact and very readable. I enjoyed this book, and was surprised by the attention focused on different types of adult stem cells. The topic is timely. This book hopefully will be a stimulus for new researchers to enter the field. " - Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal

"This book contains an extensive review of liver stem cell research, including experimentation with extrahepatic tissue and sites. I would highly recommend this book for medical libraries as well as academic libraries at institutions with graduate programs in genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, neuroscience or molecular biology." -E-STREAMS

From the Publisher