This new book presents research developments from around the globe in the field of cellular differentiation which is a concept from developmental biology describing the process by which cells acquire a 'type'. The morphology of a cell may change dramatically during differentiation, but the genetic material remains the same, with few exceptions. A cell that is able to differentiate into many cell types is known as pluripotent. These cells are called stem cells in animals and meristematic cells in higher plants. A cell that is able to differentiate into all cell types is known as totipotent. In mammals, only the zygote and early embryonic cells are totipotent, while in plants, many differentiated cells can become totipotent with simple laboratory techniques.
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 series was established to create comprehensive treatises on specific topics in developmental biology. Such volumes serve a useful role in developmental biology, which is a very diverse field that receives contributions from a wide variety of disciplines. This series is a meeting ground for the various practi tioners of this science, facilitating an integration of heterogeneous information on specific topics. Each volume is comprised of chapters selected to provide the conceptual basis for a comprehensive understanding of its topic as well as an analysis of the key experiments upon which that understanding is based. The specialist in any aspect of developmental biology should understand the experimental back ground of the specialty and be able to place that body of information in context, in order to ascertain where additional research would be fruitful. The creative process then generates new experiments. This series is intended to be a vital link in that ongoing process of learning and discovery.
CD4+ T lymphocytes play an essential role in host defense against bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. During infection, under the influence of intrinsic signals received through peptide-MHC/TCR interactions and extrinsic signals provided by pathogen-conditioned dendritic and other accessory cells, CD4+ T cells proliferate and differentiate into specialized T helper (Th) effectors, which produce distinct sets of cytokines tailored to combat a specific class of microbes. The concept of CD4+ T cell multi-functionality was developed after the seminal discovery of Th1 and Th2 cells nearly 30 years ago. Although the Th1/Th2 paradigm has successfully withstood the test of time, in the past decade additional Th subsets (Th17, Tfh, Th22, Th9) have been identified. Similarly, single cell analyses of cytokines and master transcriptional factors have revealed that, at the population level, CD4+ T cell responses are far more heterogeneous than initially anticipated. While some of the checkpoints in Th cell specification have been identified, recent studies of transcriptional and epigenetic regulation have uncovered a significant flexibility during the course CD4+ T lymphocyte polarization. In addition, Th cells expressing cytokines with counteracting functions, as a measure of self-regulation, display yet another level of diversity. Understanding the mechanisms that control the balance between stability vs. plasticity of Th effectors both at the time of initiation of immune response and during development of CD4 T cell memory is critical for the rational design of better vaccines and new immunotherapeutic strategies. This research topic will cover current views on Th cell development, with a focus on the mechanisms that govern differentiation, function and regulation of effector Th cells in the context of microbial infections.
Stem Cell Biology in Health and Disease presents an up-to-date overview about the dual role of stem cells in health and disease. The Editors have drawn together an international team of experts providing chapters which, in this fully-illustrated volume, discuss: - the controversial debate on the great expectations concerning stem cell based regeneration therapies raised by the pluripotency of various stem cells. - the advantages and concerns about embryonic stem cells (ES cells), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and adult stem cells, such as bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDCs). - the type of stem cells, which has become of interest in the past decade, namely so-called cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are now in the focus of cancer research since the eradication of tumour initiating cells would raise the changes of definitely cure cancer. Professor Dittmar and Professor Zänker have edited a must-read book for researchers and professionals working in the field of regenerative medicine and/or cancer.
