Recent scientific breakthroughs, celebrity patient advocates, and conflicting religious beliefs have come together to bring the state of stem cell researchâ€"specifically embryonic stem cell researchâ€"into the political crosshairs. President Bush's watershed policy statement allows federal funding for embryonic stem cell research but only on a limited number of stem cell lines. Millions of Americans could be affected by the continuing political debate among policymakers and the public. Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine provides a deeper exploration of the biological, ethical, and funding questions prompted by the therapeutic potential of undifferentiated human cells. In terms accessible to lay readers, the book summarizes what we know about adult and embryonic stem cells and discusses how to go about the transition from mouse studies to research that has therapeutic implications for people. Perhaps most important, Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine also provides an overview of the moral and ethical problems that arise from the use of embryonic stem cells. This timely book compares the impact of public and private research funding and discusses approaches to appropriate research oversight. Based on the insights of leading scientists, ethicists, and other authorities, the book offers authoritative recommendations regarding the use of existing stem cell lines versus new lines in research, the important role of the federal government in this field of research, and other fundamental issues.

The 150+ year lifespan of our ancient ancestors can be achieved once again by harnessing the power of our own cells with The Stem Cell Cure! Renowned regenerative and restorative sports medicine doctor Gaurav Goswami, M.D. provides advanced minimally invasive, non-surgical treatments to help his patients get back to peak performance levels – no matter their age. Harnessing the transformative power of stem cells is central to his expertise. In fact, stem cell therapy is proven to be effective in the treatment of many common conditions from arthritis and back pain to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cancer. This book is an accessible and informative introduction to the amazing powers of Stem Cell Therapy – the biggest revolution in medicine since the discovery of penicillin, and a wave of the future. Co-authored by bestselling author and popular keynote speaker Kerry Johnson MBA PhD, The Stem Cell Cure provides specific ways for readers to boost their health and vitality for a lifetime by recovering, regenerating, and repairing injuries and disease.

Regenerative medicine – stem cell and gene-based therapy – offers a new approach for restoring function of damaged organs and tissues. This is the first book to cover the major new aspects and field of regenerative medicine. This title is therefore a timely addition to the literature. It brings together the major approaches to regenerative medicine in one text, which ensures that techniques learnt in one discipline are disseminated across other areas of medicine.

The first authoritative yet accessible guide to this controversial topic Stem Cell Research For Dummies offers a balanced, plain-English look at this politically charged topic, cutting away the hype and presenting the facts clearly for you, free from debate. It explains what stem cells are and what they do, the legalities of harvesting them and using them in research, the latest research findings from the U.S. and abroad, and the prospects for medical stem cell therapies in the short and long term. Explains the differences between adult stem cells and embryonic/umbilical cord stem cells Provides both sides of the political debate and the pros and cons of each side's opinions Includes medical success stories using stem cell therapy and its promise for the future Comprehensive and unbiased, Stem Cell Research For Dummies is the only guide you need to understand this volatile issue.

With the discovery of stem cells capable of multiplying indefinitely in culture and differentiating into many other cell types in appropriate conditions, new hopes were born in repair and replacement of damaged cells and tissues. The features of stem cells may provide treatment for some incurable diseases with some therapies are already in clinics, particularly those from adult stem cells. Some treatments will require large number of cells and may also require multiple doses, generating a growing demand for generating and processing large numbers of cells to meet the need of clinical applications. With this in mind, our aim is to provide a book on the subject of stem cells and cell therapy for researchers and students of cell biotechnology, bioengineering and bioproduction. This book is exceptional as it teaches researchers stem cells and cell therapy in that it covers the concepts and backgrounds necessary so that readers get a good understanding of the production of stem cells. The book covers three topics: The basics of stem cells and cell therapy, the use of stem cells for the treatment of human diseases, and stem cell processing. It includes chapters on neural and vascular stem vascular stem cell therapy, expansion engineering of embryonic stem cells, stem cell based production of blood cells and separation technologies for stem cells and cell therapy products. It is an informed and informative presentation of what modern research, science and engineering have learned about stem cells and their production and therapies. Addressing both the medical and production issues, this book is an invaluable contribution to having an academic and industrial understanding with respect to R&D and manufacturing of clinical grade stem cells.

Over the past decade, significant efforts have been made to develop stem cell-based therapies for difficult to treat diseases. Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, also referred to as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), appear to hold great promise in regards to a regenerative cell-based therapy for the treatment of these diseases. Currently, more than 200 clinical trials are underway worldwide exploring the use of MSCs for the treatment of a wide range of disorders including bone, cartilage and tendon damage, myocardial infarction, graft-versus-host disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, critical limb ischemia and many others. MSCs were first identified by Friendenstein and colleagues as an adherent stromal cell population within the bone marrow with the ability to form clonogenic colonies in vitro. In regards to the basic biology associated with MSCs, there has been tremendous progress towards understanding this cell population’s phenotype and function from a range of tissue sources. Despite enormous progress and an overall increased understanding of MSCs at the molecular and cellular level, several critical questions remain to be answered in regards to the use of these cells in therapeutic applications. Clinically, both autologous and allogenic approaches for the transplantation of MSCs are being explored. Several of the processing steps needed for the clinical application of MSCs, including isolation from various tissues, scalable in vitro expansion, cell banking, dose preparation, quality control parameters, delivery methods and numerous others are being extensively studied. Despite a significant number of ongoing clinical trials, none of the current therapeutic approaches have, at this point, become a standard of care treatment. Although exceptionally promising, the clinical translation of MSC-based therapies is still a work in progress. The extensive number of ongoing clinical trials is expected to provide a clearer path forward for the realization and implementation of MSCs in regenerative medicine. Towards this end, reviews of current clinical trial results and discussions of relevant topics association with the clinical application of MSCs are compiled in this book from some of the leading researchers in this exciting and rapidly advancing field. Although not absolutely all-inclusive, we hope the chapters within this book can promote and enable a better understanding of the translation of MSCs from bench-to-bedside and inspire researchers to further explore this promising and quickly evolving field.

A Roadmap to Non-hematopoietic Stem Cell-Based Therapeutics: From the Bench to the Clinic is a resource that provides an overview of the principles of stem cell therapy, the promises and challenges of using stem cells for treating various clinical conditions, and future perspectives. The overall goal is to facilitate the translation of basic research on stem cells to clinical applications. The properties of stem cells from various sources are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of each for clinical use are discussed. Modifying stem cell properties through preconditioning strategies using physical, chemical, genetic, and molecular manipulation to improve cell survival, increase cell differentiation potential, enhance production of paracrine factors, and facilitate homing to the site of injury or disease upon transplantation are reviewed. Various routes of stem cell administration and dosing, and the duration of effects, are explored. Individual chapters are written by experts in the field and focus on the use of stem cells in treating various degenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, wound healing, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injury, oral and dental diseases, and skeletal disorders. Finally, experts in the regulatory arena discuss mechanisms used in different countries for approving the use of stem cells to treat diseases and many common issues that are typically encountered while seeking approval for this class of therapeutic agent. Offers advanced students, as well as new researchers, an overview of the principles of stem cell therapy Discusses a wide array of pressing clinical issues with stem cell-based therapies so that new ideas in the laboratory can be efficiently translated to the clinic through better designed clinical trials Helps clarify current regulatory mechanisms so that the safe use of stem cells for treating a variety of diseases can move forward Fosters cross-disciplinary dialogue between research scientists and physicians to accelerate the safe implementation of efficacious cell therapies