This handbook reviews the clinical applications of stem cell-based therapy. The book covers the clinical applications of stem cells in cardiovascular diseases, neurological and ocular diseases, pediatrics, and the role of cancer stem cell-derived exosomal microRNA payload in lung cancer. The chapter reviews emerging stem cell therapy and tissue engineering approaches in neurodegenerative diseases. The book further examines the applications of stem cells in various fields of dentistry, and for the regeneration of oral and non-oral tissues. The chapters also explore the application of 3D bioprinting in conjunction with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of bone defects and state-of-the-art technology for bone and cartilage regeneration using mesenchymal stem cells. The book presents stem cell-based therapy against renal, pancreatic, and kidney diseases and examines the advantages of a novel hepatic stem for cirrhotic liver repair and regeneration. Lastly, the book provides methodological and procedural advancements in stem cell-based therapy, including the applications of single-cell sequencing in stem cell research. This handbook is a major one-stop reference for researchers working in regenerative medicine, cellular pharmacology, stem cell research in general, and those involved in specific areas of adult stem cells as well as embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular basis of developmental and stem cell regulation. It revisits some of the classical models of developmental biology and puts them in context with the findings of modern stem cell research and developmental biology.

First of all, the editors of this special volume would like to thank all the authors for their excellent contributions. We would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheper as well as Dr.Marion Hertel and Ingrid Samide fromSpringer for providing the opportunity to compose this volume and Springer for organizational and technical support. Tissue engineering represents one of the major emerging fields in modern biotechnology. Tissue engineering combines different disciplines ranging from biological and material sciences to engineering and clinical disciplines. The aim of tissue engineering is the development of therapeutic approaches to substitute diseased organs or tissues or improve their function. Stem cells are early progenitors that may substitute diseased tissues or provide cues for endogenous healing. Stem cells are present in virtually all tissues. The first chapters describe different sources of stem cells including isolation and expansion. The use of fetal tissues and umbilical cord is discussed as they come from immunoprivileged sites and are considered to be early stem cells. The use of adipose-derived stem cells is discussed as a readily available autologous source. Subsequently, newer techniques for “manufacturing” stem cells from somatic cells using “induced pluripotent stem cell” technology are discussed and described in two chapters. The following chapter deals with bioreactor cultivation of stem cells. Specific tissues such as cartilage and endothelial precursors built the bridge to the last chapters.

This book explores the therapeutic approaches of stem cells and stem cell-derived exosomes against neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). The initial chapters introduce different neurodegenerative diseases and discuss the mechanistic aspects of their progression. The subsequent chapters cover strategies for the isolation, characterization, and differentiation of stem cells. In turn, the book reviews the protective role of stem cells against neurological disorders and examines regenerative approaches to treat neurological diseases using mesenchymal stem cells. The book also presents induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology for cellular therapy, drug screening, and in-vitro modeling of neurodegenerative diseases. Lastly, the book discusses the role of stem cells and derived exosomes as a novel therapeutic agent against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and in associated signaling molecules involved in neuroprotection. This book is an invaluable source for researchers working towards understanding the potential of stem cell therapy in neurodegenerative disorders.

Signi?cant advances in stem cell research and their potentials for therap- tic applications have attracted the attention of the scienti?c community and captured the imagination of society as a whole. Not so long ago, the study of most stem cells, other than those that regenerated the haematopoietic system, was rather obscure and limited to a relatively small number of researchers and laboratories. The uproar over stem cells really began in 1998 with the s- cessful derivation of pluripotent human embryonic stem (ES) cells by James Thomson and co-workers.

This book discusses glioblastoma (GBM) and its diagnosis, treatment, and management.

This book does not have the ambition to present comprehensively the problems of leukemias, but it is an attempt to acquaint the audience of specialists involved in clinical management and experimental research with some modern advances and concepts in the three main directions: biology, clinical presentation and treatment.

Simplicity in nature is the ultimate sophistication. The world's magnificence has been enriched by the inner drive of instincts, the profound drive of our everyday life. Instinct is an inherited behavior that responds to environmental stimuli. Instinctive computing is a computational simulation of biological and cognitive instincts, which influence how we see, feel, appear, think and act. If we want a computer to be genuinely secure, intelligent, and to interact naturally with us, we must give computers the ability to recognize, understand, and even to have primitive instincts.

Epigenetic modifications comprise heritable gene expression changes that occur without alteration of the DNA sequence and 'co-act' with genetic factors to shape development processes and evolutionary trajectories. Multicellular organisms receive different types of environmental stimuli/stresses that trigger epigenetic modifications during development. These environmentally driven mechanisms represent an underlying cause of phenotypic diversity, especially in metazoans. This book aims to present some of the latest epigenetic insights into the development of metazoans (including humans) as an intersection between their ecology and evolution.

Approximately 50 years ago, newly generated neurons were discovered in the adult hippocampus of the rat brain. This discovery contradicted a key principle in mammalian developmental neurobiology—that all the neurons of the brain are made during early development—and led to intensive study to find out how new neurons are generated and how the process of neurogenesis is regulated. Since then, a unique population of adult neural stem cells has been identified, and many of the molecular pathways that control their self-renewal, proliferation, and cell fate have been elucidated. However, the presence of new neurons in the adult brain also poses intriguing functional questions that have, as yet, gone largely unanswered. Why is adult neurogenesis restricted to select brain regions? What functional benefit do these new cells confer? Indeed, the field of adult neurogenesis offers a unique opportunity to study naïve neurons as they mature, form connections with existing neural networks, and begin to participate in information processing. We review the basics of adult NSC biology and the maturation of newborn neurons. In particular, we focus on new neurons in the hippocampus, and how they contribute to function in this key memory-forming structure of the brain.

This book provides analysis of plant breeding and its role for producing high-yielding cultivars that increase farming profitability and sustainability. This work analyzes the past and present of plant breeding, while providing research that investigates the future of crop improvement. Plant breeding today, as it was before, depends on crop biodiversity and its sustainable use, which can be further facilitated by advances in omics and bioinformatics. It starts with assessing plant genetic resources (wild species, landraces, obsolete cultivars, genetic stocks) variation aiming to enhance the cultigen pool. Research on genetics–aided by current omic tools– should lead to designing a knowledge-based plant breeding, which could bring further genetic gains in the breeding pools. Plant breeding, however, will increasingly require pursuing a holistic interdisciplinary approach based on integrated system-oriented thinking.

This detailed volume presents a series of protocols that are representative of recent developments and improvements in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and corresponding human disease models. Reflecting the latest technology for generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and their initial characterization, the book explores techniques invaluable both for studies of disease-specific cell types and for their potential applications in regenerative medicine. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, as well as tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

This detailed volume presents a series of protocols that are representative of recent developments and improvements in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and corresponding human disease models. Reflecting the latest technology for generating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and their initial characterization, the book explores techniques invaluable both for studies of disease-specific cell types and for their potential applications in regenerative medicine. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, as well as tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Much research has focused on the basic cellular and molecular biological aspects of stem cells. Much of this research has been fueled by their potential for use in regenerative medicine applications, which has in turn spurred growing numbers of translational and clinical studies. However, more work is needed if the potential is to be realized for improvement of the lives and well-being of patients with numerous diseases and conditions.

This second edition provides updated and new chapters on selected genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cell biological techniques. Chapter’s guide readers through methods and principles on primordial germ cells and germline stem cells, however many of these principles can be applied to different types of adult stem cells. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.