This volume presents up-to-date methods that allow primary stem cells from a variety of sources to be isolated, cultured in vitro, detected and measured for specific applications. These applications range from those in basic, stem cell and veterinary research to toxicology, cellular therapy and regenerative medicine. There is a slight bias towards the blood-forming system as more is known about the blood-forming or hematopoietic system than any other primary stem cell system. These unique properties and characteristics are discussed and examined, mostly at the cellular level and in detail in this book. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Stem Cell Protocols provides novices with the fundamentals necessary to develop new technologies necessary for basic and clinical research in the future, and will aid professionals in finding new methodologies to provide a wider viewpoint and an even greater scope for their own research.

Now in two volumes, this completely updated and expanded edition of Embryonic Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols provides a diverse collection of readily reproducible cellular and molecular protocols for the manipulation of nonhuman embryonic stem cells. Volume one, Embryonic Stem Cell Protocols: Isolation and Characterization, Second Edition, provides a diverse collection of readily reproducible cellular and molecular protocols for the isolation, maintenance, and characterization of embryonic stem cells. The second volume, Embryonic Stem Cell Protocols: Differentiation Models, Second Edition, covers state-of-the-art methods for deriving many types of differentiating cells from ES cells. Together, the two volumes illuminate for both novices and experts our current understanding of the biology of embryonic stem cells and their utility in normal tissue homeostasis and regenerative medicine applications.

With this valuable practical guide, three members of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have compiled and edited the definite handbook for the exciting new field of human embryonic stem cell research. The editors have gathered protocols from scientists with extensive reputation and expertise, describing and comparing currently used techniques for the culture of human stem cells and discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches. Human Embryonic Stem Cells: The Practical Handbook contains the first centralised collection of methods used in human embryonic stem cell biology. The book covers the derivation of human stem cell lines, the obtaining of cells from human stem cell banks, the culturing and characterisation of the cells, and the differentiation of the cells in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, almost all of these protocols can also be used for analyzing and manipulating induced pluripotency iPS stem cells. This allows an even greater number of opportunities for those interested in purusing work in pluripotent stem cells, disease modelling, and other aspects of basic regenerative medicine research. The novel and useful focus of this book sets it apart from other available books: Compares and evaluates the protocols used in leading laboratories working on human embryonic stem cells Centred solely on practical protocols for human (not mouse) embryonic stem cell research Includes extensive troubleshooting sections Addresses the different proclivities and behaviours of individual human embryonic cell lines Contains techniques currently known only to a small number of specialised laboratories worldwide This handbook represents an essential source of up-to-date practical information for all cell and developmental biologists working with human embryonic stem cells or wishing to enter the field. It is also essential reading for clinical researchers in areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurological diseases. Praise from the reviews: "...a highly readable and useful book... A notable feature of the book is its air of openness and honesty... This book... will help many to navigate the uncharted waters of human embryonic stem cell biology." BRITISH SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY "... the imaginative solutions in this book can inspire us to get past our most frustrating limitations." CELL STEM CELL "... the richness in the details of each protocol presented will certainly encourage more scientists to begin studies of Human pluripotent stem cells..." REGENERATIVE MEDICINE "In this fast-moving field, this [handbook] will help drive advances of more and more researchers." DIFFERENTIATION "...a valuable resource for seasoned and novice researchers... an excellent addition to the reference collection of any medical library or research laboratory." THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

This book collects the most effective and cutting-edge methods and protocols for deriving and culturing human embryonic and adult stem cells—in one handy resource. This groundbreaking book follows the tradition of previous books in the Culture of Specialized Cells Series—each methods and protocols chapter is laid out exactly like the next, with stepwise protocols, preceded by specific requirements for that protocol, and a concise discussion of methods illustrated by data. The editors describe a limited number of representative techniques across a wide spectrum of stem cells from embryonic, newborn, and adult tissue, yielding an all-encompassing and versatile guide to the field of stem cell biology and culture. The book includes a comprehensive list of suppliers for all equipment used in the protocols presented, with websites available in an appendix. Additionally, there is a chapter on quality control, and other chapters covering legal and ethical issues, cryopreservation, and feeder layer culture. This text is a one-stop resource for all researchers, clinical scientists, teachers, and students involved in this crucial area of study.

Almost daily, new technologies are being presented that move the field of human pluripotent stem cell research towards a future that may yield highly-effective, personalized medical treatments. Three enabling technologies at hand for human PSCs are 1) directed reprogramming of somatic cells, which eliminate many of the ethical issues associated with the derivation and use of human PSCs, increase genetic diversity of the available human PSC lines, and give rise to better in vitro human disease models; 2) the discovery that a Rho-associated protein Kinase (ROCK) inhibitor allows for efficient single cell passaging and cryopreservation, increasing the efficiency and reliability of hPSC culture; and 3) defined, animal-component-free media, which lay the groundwork for simplified scale-up for therapeutic applications, differentiation protocols, and toxicology screens. The aforementioned technologies can be found in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols, a compilation of 33 detailed protocols in six categories of PSC research that cover laboratory essentials and the derivation of new PSC lines, including induced PSC lines, as well as their growth, maintenance, characterization, genetic manipulation, and differentiation. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to scientists conducting their own pluripotent cell research programs and makes great strides towards furthering human knowledge and, ultimately, improving the human condition.

In 2005, the National Academies released the book, Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, which offered a common set of ethical standards for a field that, due to the absence of comprehensive federal funding, was lacking national standards for research. In order to keep the Guidelines up to date, given the rapid pace of scientific and policy developments in the field of stem cell research, the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee was established in 2006 with support from The Ellison Medical Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. As it did in 2007 and 2008, the Committee identified issues that warranted revision, and this book addresses those issues in a third and final set of amendments. Specifically, this book sets out an updated version of the National Academies' Guidelines, one that takes into account the new, expanded role of the NIH in overseeing hES cell research. It also identifies those avenues of continuing National Academies' involvement deemed most valuable by the research community and other significant stakeholders.

A discussion of all the key issues in the use of human pluripotent stem cells for treating degenerative diseases or for replacing tissues lost from trauma. On the practical side, the topics range from the problems of deriving human embryonic stem cells and driving their differentiation along specific lineages, regulating their development into mature cells, and bringing stem cell therapy to clinical trials. Regulatory issues are addressed in discussions of the ethical debate surrounding the derivation of human embryonic stem cells and the current policies governing their use in the United States and abroad, including the rules and conditions regulating federal funding and questions of intellectual property.

Pluripotent stem cells have the potential to revolutionise medicine, providing treatment options for a wide range of diseases and conditions that currently lack therapies or cures. This book describes recent advances in the generation of tissue specific cell types for regenerative applications, as well as the obstacles that need to be overcome in order to recognize the potential of these cells.

New discoveries in the field of stem cells increasingly dominate the news and scientific literature revealing an avalanche of new knowledge and research tools that are producing therapies for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and a wide variety of other diseases that afflict humanity. The Handbook of Stem Cells integrates this exciting area of life science, combining in two volumes the requisites for a general understanding of adult and embryonic stem cells. Organized in two volumes entitled Pluripotent Stem Cells and Cell Biology and Adult and Fetal Stem Cells, this work contains contributions from the world's experts in stem cell research to provide a description of the tools, methods, and experimental protocols needed to study and characterize stem cells and progenitor populations as well as a the latest information of what is known about each specific organ system. - Provides comprehensive coverage on this highly topical subject - Contains contributions by the foremost authorities and premiere names in the field of stem cell research - Companion website - http://booksite.elsevier.com/9780123859426/ - contains over 250 color figures in presentation format