Human Embryonic Stem Cells

by Jon Odorico (Editor), Roger Pedersen (Editor), Su-Chun Zhang (Editor)

Overview

Since the first successful isolation and cultivation of human embryonic stem cells at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1998, there has been high levels of both interest and controversy in this area of research.This book provides a concise overview of an exciting field, covering the characteristics of both human embryonic stem cells and pluripotent stem cells from other human cell lineages. The following chapters describe state-of-the-art differentiation and characterization of specific ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm-derived lineages from human embryonic stem cells, emphasizing how these can be used to study human developmental mechanisms. A further chapter discusses genetic manipulation of human ES cells. The concluding section covers therapeutic applications of human ES cells, as well as addressing the ethical and legal issues that this research have raised.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135320683
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	12/01/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	391
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Odorico, Jon; Pedersen, Roger; Zhang, Su-Chun

Table of Contents

1. Biology of Embryonic Stem Cells 2. Characteristics of Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Embryonal Carcinoma Cells and Embryonic Germ Cells 3. Adult Stem Cell Plasticity 4. Human and Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Lines: Windows to Early Mammalian Development 5. Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Multilineage Differentiation to Mesoderm Lineages 6. Trophoblast Differentiation from Embryonic Stem Cells 7. Current and Future Prospects for Hematopoiesis Studies using Human Embryonic Stem Cells 8. Derivation of Endothelial Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells 9. Neural Specification from Human Embryonic Stem Cells 10. Modeling Islet Development through Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation 11. Cardiomyocyte Differentiation in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Progeny 12. Genetic Engineering of Human Embryonic Stem Cells 13. ES Cells for Transplantation: Coping with Immunity 14. Clinical Applications for Human ES Cells 15. Production of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Cellular Product for Therapeutic Use 16. Ethical and Policy Considerations in Embryonic Stem Cell Research 17. Legal Framework Pertaining to Research Creating or Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells 18. Genomic Approaches to Stem Cell Biology 18. Genomic Approaches to Stem Cell Biology 19. Proteomics and Embryonic Stem Cells

Editorial Reviews

The book provides an outstanding introduction to embryonic stem cell research...The book includes an excellent mix of photomicrographs and diagrams as well as a few color plates...This is a well-written and easy-to-read, compact book. The editors have brought together outstanding experts and assembled a nice cross-sectional view of this enlarging field - Doody's Listings and Reviews

This book will be of tremendous help to those who have already started, or soon will start, a journey into the murky waters of stem-cell research - The New England Journal of Medicine, 354: 1, Jan 06

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Alla Arzumanyan, Ph.D.(Thomas Jefferson University)
Description: Stem cells have an epigenetic organization of chromatin and set of transcription factors that permit the sequential read-out of developmental information. Nondescript stem cells of the early embryo give rise through cell division, migration, and cell interactions to germ cells and somatic cells of the fetus and the adult. In addition to tracing branching pathways of differentiation, these remarkable cells can create three-dimensional tissues and organs. The mechanisms are complex, but much progress has been made since human embryonic stem (ES) cells were first derived in 1998. This compact book includes 19 chapters on topics ranging from the biological characteristics of embryonic stem cells to the derivation of differentiated cells for therapeutic application. Ethical and legal issues in embryonic stem cell research are also addressed.
Purpose: According to the editors, the purpose is to "provide students and scientists with a great appreciation of the truly unique properties of human embryonic stem cells." The authors hope to encourage new outstanding scientists to enter the field, and stimulate efforts to generate novel stem cell-based therapies for human disease.
Audience: This book is written for a wide audience of basic science researchers and clinicians interested in the biology and application of stems cells. The audience will include developmental biologists, as well as specialists in gene profiling, proteomics, and tissue engineering. Graduate students and experienced researchers will appreciate this state-of-the art review of the stem cell literature.
Features: The book provides an outstanding introduction to embryonic stem cell research. Each chapter includes an introduction, summary, and list of key references. The book includes an excellent mix of photomicrographs and diagrams as well as a few color plates. Early chapters present a summary of information regarding the derivation and properties of stem cells, including ES, EG and EC cells. Later chapters provide examples of lineage-specific cell differentiation (e.g., formation of cardiac myocytes and neurons). The book includes a list of commonly-used abbreviations and an appendix that highlights stem cell resources (e.g., publications focusing on stem cells).
Assessment: This is a well-written and easy-to-read, compact book. The editors have brought together outstanding experts and assembled a nice cross-sectional view of this enlarging field. The authors review general concepts, discuss research methods, and summarize published literature. I highly recommend this book for all those interested in embryonic stem cells. The book will bring you up to speed; it is packed with need-to-know information and will be a great resource for years to come.

Doody's Review Service