During the past decade, a wide range of scientific disciplines have adopted the use of adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs) as an important tool for research and discovery. In Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols, experts from the field, including members of the esteemed International Federation of Adipose Therapeutics and Science (IFATS), provide defined and established protocols in order to further codify the utilization of these powerful and accessible cells. With chapters organized around approaches spanning the discovery, pre-clinical, and clinical processes, much of the emphasis is placed on human ASC, while additional techniques involving small and large animal species are included. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series, the detailed contributions include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital reference text for experienced researchers as well as new students on the path to further exploring the incredible potential of ASCs.

Stem Cell Labeling for Delivery and Tracking Using Noninvasive Imaging provides a comprehensive overview of cell therapy imaging, ranging from the basic biology of cell therapeutic choices to the preclinical and clinical applications of cell therapy. It emphasizes the use of medical imaging for therapeutic delivery/targeting, cell tracking, and determining therapeutic efficacy. The book first presents background information and insight on the major classes of stem and progenitor cells. It then describes the main imaging modalities and state-of-the-art techniques that are currently employed for stem cell tracking. In the final chapters, leading scholars offer clinical perspectives on existing and potential uses of stem cells as well as the impact of image-guided delivery and tracking in major organ systems. Through clear descriptions and color images, this volume illustrates how noninvasive imaging is used to track stem cells as they repair damaged tissue in the body. With contributions from some of the most prominent preclinical and clinical researchers in the field, the book helps readers to understand the evolving concepts of stem cell labeling and tracking as the field continues to move forward.

This volume provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art review on pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The book covers such topics as graft versus host disease (GVHD), HSC mobilization, stem cell selection, and HSCT-relevant laboratory assays and techniques. The text is specially formatted so that the scientific basis of HSCT and ethical considerations are integrated into the relevant clinical framework. Each chapter also includes diagrams, illustrations, and tables that summarize key points and concepts that can be used as a quick visual reference for the reader. Written by experts in the field, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for the Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist is a valuable resource on pediatric HSCT suited for pediatric hematologists-oncologists, fellows, advanced practitioners, clinical nurses, and other referring physicians.

This essential volume explores mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their potential to suppress immune-mediated inflammation. The chapters examine applications in autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis; blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma; and reproductive complications, specifically pre-term labor and use of MSCs in vitro and in animal models to discover methods of suppressing the causal inflammatory response. It also further defines the methodologies required to develop research on MSCs in vitro into established preclinical animal models including those which are proven replicas of autoimmunity and pre-term labor, to name but two. Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Immunomodulation, part of Springer’s Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, is an invaluable resource for researchers and clinicians working with stem cells, autoimmune disease, oncology, and reproductive medicine.

The idea of using the enormous potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) not only for diagnostic but also for interventional purposes may seem obvious, but it took major efforts by engineers, physicists, and clinicians to come up with dedicated interventional techniques and scanners, and improvements are still ongoing. Since the inception of interventional MRI in the mid-1990s, the numbers of settings, techniques, and clinical applications have increased dramatically. This state of the art book covers all aspects of interventional MRI. The more technical contributions offer an overview of the fundamental ideas and concepts and present the available instrumentation. The richly illustrated clinical contributions, ranging from MRI-guided biopsies to completely MRI-controlled therapies in various body regions, provide detailed information on established and emerging applications and identify future trends and challenges.

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.