This book collects articles on the biology of hematopoietic stem cells during embryonic development, reporting on fly, fish, avian and mammalian models. The text invites a comparative overview of hematopoietic stem cell generation in the different classes, emphasizing conserved trends in development. The book reviews current knowledge on human hematopoietic development and discusses recent breakthroughs of relevance to both researchers and clinicians.

This volume presents the first collection of methods to study embryonic and fetal hematopoiesis in both invertebrate (fruit flies) and vertebrate (frog, fish, mouse, chick, and human) organisms. These state-of-the-art techniques range from the genetic, molecular, and cellular, to cell and embryo explant culture and whole animals, including in vivo imaging. Bioinformatic and functional genomic approaches for studying stem cells and their supportive stromal cells are also discussed.

Handbook of Benign Hematology is a practical guide to the diagnosis and management of benign hematologic conditions. The book begins with a chapter on normal hematopoiesis and follows with chapters devoted to groups of blood disorders and syndromes including neutrophil disorders, nonmalignant myeloid disorders, bone marrow failure syndromes, myeloproliferative disorders, anemias, iron metabolism disorders, platelet disorders, hemostasis and coagulation defects, and thrombosis. Each disorder subtype covered features a clinical case, an introduction to the condition, details on diagnosis including applicable criteria and lab work needed, key diagnostic dilemmas, prognosis, treatment options, details on clinical trials and emerging clinical strategies, and bulleted key points to highlight clinical pearls and common pitfalls. The final chapters provide best practices for transfusion medicine and a guide to pharmacologic agents and their uses in clinical practice for adult and pediatric patients. The handbook is filled with tables and illustrations which highlight FDA-approved drug information, clinical trials data, hematopathologic characteristics of different disorders, important management criteria and more, making it the ideal handbook for those in practice or for review. The Editors and chapter authors are experienced academic practitioners in the fields of adult and pediatric hematology, pathology, blood banking, and pharmacology. Emphasizing best practices for patient management, this handbook is essential for oncologists, hematologists, trainees, and other practitioners who regularly or increasingly receive referrals to diagnose and treat adults or children with nonmalignant hematologic conditions. Key Features: Includes dozens of clinical cases covering all nonmalignant blood disorders Emphasizes patient management and best practices for disorders seen in adults and children Contains over 30 color images and numerous tables for quick reference Presents important details of all pharmacologic agents used to treat or manage hematologic disorders and their complications Purchase includes access to the ebook for use on most mobile devices or computers

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.

A concise full-color review of the mechanisms of blood diseases and disorders – based on a Harvard Medical School hematology course 4 STAR DOODY'S REVIEW! "This is a superb book. Deceptively small, yet packs a wallop. The emphasis on principles instead of practice is welcome....The text is clear, concise, and surprisingly approachable for what could have been a very dense and dry discussion. I could not put this book down and read it entirely in one sitting. When was the last time anyone found a hematology textbook so riveting?"--Doody's Review Service Hematological Pathophysiology is a well-illustrated, easy-to-absorb introduction to the physiological principles underlying the regulation and function of blood cells and hemostasis, as well as the pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for the development of blood disorders. Featuring a strong emphasis on key principles, the book covers diagnosis and management primarily within a framework of pathogenesis. Authored by world-renowned clinician/educators at Harvard Medical School, Hematological Pathophysiology features content and organization based on a hematology course offered to second year students at that school. The book is logically divided into four sections: Anemias and Disorders of the Red Blood Cell, Disorders of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Disorders of Leukocytes, and Transfusion Medicine; it opens with an important overview of blood and hematopoietic tissues. Features Succinct, to-the-point coverage that reflects current medical education More than 200 full-color photographs and renderings of disease mechanisms and blood diseases Each chapter includes learning objectives and self-assessment questions Numerous tables and diagrams encapsulate important information Incorporates the feedback of 180 Harvard medical students who reviewed the first draft -- so you know you’re studying the most relevant material possible

In the summer of 1988, my developmental biology professor announced to the class that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) had finally been purified. Somehow, I never forgot the professor’s words. When I started working in Dr. Irv Weissman’s labo- tory at Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow, I realized that the findings mentioned by the professor were from Weissman’s laboratory and had been published in a 1988 edition of the journal Science. It has been over 20 years since the publication of that seminal paper, and since then tremendous advances in understanding the biology and maturation of HSCs, namely the process of hematopoiesis, which includes lymphocyte development, have been made. These discoveries were made possible in part by advancements in technology. For example, recent availability of user friendly fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) machines and monoclonal an- bodies with a variety of fluorescent labels has allowed more scientists to sort and analyze rare populations in the bone marrow, such as HSCs. All classes of hematopoietic cells are derived from HSCs. Stem cell biology draws enormous attention not only from scientists, but also from ordinary people because of the tremendous potential for development of new therapeutic application to diseases that currently lack any type of effective therapy. Thus, this type of “regenerative medicine” is a relatively new and attractive field in both basic science and clinical medicine.

This book is intended as a comprehensive resource for clinicians and researchers seeking in-depth information on geriatric oncology. The coverage encompasses epidemiology, the biology and (patho)physiology of aging and cancer, geriatric assessment and management, hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, issues in patient care, and research methods. Since cancer is a disease of aging and people are living longer, most cancer patients are now aged 70 and older. Yet the more we age, the more diverse we become in terms of our health, biologic fitness, and cancer behavior. Typically, however, general oncology clinical trials address only a selected healthier and younger population of patients. Geriatric oncology is the area of oncology that addresses these issues but while a wealth of knowledge has been accumulated, information is often difficult to retrieve or insufficiently detailed. The SpringerReference program, in which this book is published, offers an ideal format for overcoming these limitations since it combines thorough coverage with access to living editions constantly updated chapter by chapter via a dynamic peer-review process, ensuring that information remains current and pertinent.

This volume summarizes recent advances in research on mesenchymal cell populations in the bone marrow. It explores how mesenchymal cells create niches for immune cells in extramedullary organs and it discusses new concepts of lympho-hematopoietic microenvironments. Readers are introduced to the fundamentals of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiation to all types of blood cells, including immune cells, in the bone marrow. The book highlights how this process is supported and regulated by the individual microenvironments of stem cells, termed niches. The identity of HSC niches has been subject to longstanding debates. Recent studies identified the population of mesenchymal stem cells as the major cellular component of niches, for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and their candidate developmental origin. Furthermore, candidate cellular niches for immune cells in lymph nodes and adipose and connective tissues were identified. The authors of this volume focus on shared features between those and HSPC niche cells in the bone marrow. Covering latest research results, this book serves as fascinating read for researchers and clinicians in hematology and immunology.

This book explores the role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the context of regenerative medicine (RegMed). In particular, it reveals the value of RegMed as a new TM branch intended to improve the health and quality of life, by restoring, maintaining or enhancing tissue and functions of organs. The book is divided into three chapters, the first of which describes the relevance of translational medicine (TM) as a new research approach to counteract the imposing challengeof age-related diseases. Of the diverse RegMed approaches, particular attention is paid to stem/progenitor cell-based therapies, their benefits and shortcomings, as well as to the description of types of stem and progenitor cells considered for regenerative cell therapies, such as EPCs as emerging candidates for RegMed applications. In turn, the second chapter outlines the clinical relevance of EPCs as both potential predictors, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of age-related diseases and therapeutic agents,discussing their advantages, disadvantages, and conflicting data. Chapter three proposes a potential roadmap for revising the findings and creating a clearer picture of valid data, which can provide support for various important aspects, i.e.isolating and characterizing EPCs by establishing standardized criteria for EPC research, identifying appropriate sub-populations for cell therapy, timing, dosing, priming of cells,and defining delivery modes for different applications. The book concludes with an overview of innovative strategies that could improve the efficacy of cell therapy at all levels, including cell priming, bio-nanotechnology, and tissue engineering.

Hematopoiesis, or the process of blood formation, has been extensively studied at both basic and clinical levels. Human diseases such as thalassemia, immunodeficiency, and leukemia represent defects in this process. Approaches to treat these disorders have required a basic understanding of the biology of blood cells. For instance, hemapoietic stem cell replacement or bone marrow transplantation has been used to ameliorate disease. This volume focuses on hematopoiesis at a cellular and molecular level, and establishes the basis for clinical manipulation of hematopoietic cells for therapeutic benefit. In Part I, the cellular characteristics of progenitors and stem cells are explored. Emphasis is placed on purification of stem cells and both in vitro and in vivo assays. The regulation of normal and leukemis stem cells is illustrated. An excellent discussion of potential use of these cells for gene therapy concludes this section. Hemapoiesis is easily studied during embryogenesis. Part II develops the concept of the waves of hemapoiesis during development. Comparative hematology is making a major comeback as a field in the 1990's. One hope is that general principles of hematopoiesis will be established by studying many models and systems. Part III delves into critical factors that regulate hematopoiesis, including both intracellular and extracellular signals. Part IV and V describe lineage programs for myeloid and lymphoid lineages. These chapters are meant to be illustrative of the different cell fates, but are not exhaustive. Part VI examines the genetics of hematopoisis, particularly in animal models. The hematopoietic system is in constant contact with stromal cells and endothelial cells during development and in the adult. Evidence suggests that endothelial cells and blood cells may arise from a common progenitor, the hemangioblast. Part VII and VIII discuss the stromal and endothelial cells with the emphasis on their interaction with hematopoietic cells.