Stem cell based therapy is a 21st century approach of therapeutic intervention which epitomizes a shift from conventional symptomatic treatment strategy to addressing the root cause of the disease process. This is especially a hope for the patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer, diabetes, myocardial infarction and other diseases which have always been considered as incurable. Moreover, stem cells provide excellent in vitro disease models for drug development. This book is a compilation of the bench experience of experts from various research labs involved in the cutting edge area of research, describing the use of stem cells both as part of the combinatorial therapeutic intervention approach and as tools (disease model) during drug development.

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.

​This book reviews the latest biotechnological advances with pluripotent stem cells, exploring their application in tissue engineering and medicinal chemistry. Chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as the production of transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), expansion, controlled differentiation and programming of pluripotent stem cells, and their genetic instability. Particular attention is given to the application of the pluripotent stem cells for vascularision of engineered tissue and for drug screening. This book will appeal to researchers working in regenerative medicine and drug discovery, and to bioengineers and professionals interested in stem cell research.

This invaluable resource discusses the current revolution in stem cell-based drugs and their potential use in clinical applications. Each chapter is contributed by a pre-eminent scientist in the field. An introductory section presents current stem cell drugs and stem cell-based products and a discussion of production, quality control, mechanisms, and efficacy. Following sections include discussions on stem cell-derived microvesicles based products, and derived exosomes based products. Stem Cell Drugs - A New Generation of Biopharmaceuticals and the other books in the Stem Cells in Clinical Applications series are invaluable to scientists, researchers, advanced students and clinicians working in stem cells, regenerative medicine or tissue engineering. This groundbreaking volume is also essential reading for those researching or studying drug development or pharmaceutical science.

Divided into three parts, this book covers the applications of stem cells as tools for drug discovery assays, the bioengineering applications of stem cell assays, and as drug targets for regenerative therapy. It includes a focus on stem cell culturing methods and their application to efficacy and safety tests when moving to preclinical drug studies. It also provides a single source for stem cell scientists, pharmacologists/discovery scientists, and bioprocessors. This text is a broad reference tool for those in stem cell science and those interested in where and how it fits in drug discovery.

The second edition of Stem Cells: Scientific Facts and Fiction provides the non-stem cell expert with an understandable review of the history, current state of affairs, and facts and fiction of the promises of stem cells. Building on success of its award-winning preceding edition, the second edition features new chapters on embryonic and iPS cells and stem cells in veterinary science and medicine. It contains major revisions on cancer stem cells to include new culture models, additional interviews with leaders in progenitor cells, engineered eye tissue, and xeno organs from stem cells, as well as new information on "organs on chips" and adult progenitor cells. In the past decades our understanding of stem cell biology has increased tremendously. Many types of stem cells have been discovered in tissues that everyone presumed were unable to regenerate in adults, the heart and the brain in particular. There is vast interest in stem cells from biologists and clinicians who see the potential for regenerative medicine and future treatments for chronic diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes, and spinal cord lesions, based on the use of stem cells; and from entrepreneurs in biotechnology who expect new commercial applications ranging from drug discovery to transplantation therapies. - Explains in straightforward, non-specialist language the basic biology of stem cells and their applications in modern medicine and future therapy - Includes extensive coverage of adult and embryonic stem cells both historically and in contemporary practice - Richly illustrated to assist in understanding how research is done and the current hurdles to clinical practice