Stem Cell and Gene Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease is a state-of-the-art reference that combines, in one place, the breadth and depth of information available on the topic. As stem cell and gene therapies are the most cutting-edge therapies currently available for patients with heart failure, each section of the book provides information on medical trials from contributors and specialists from around the world, including not only what has been completed, but also what is planned for future research and trials. Cardiology researchers, basic science clinicians, fellows, residents, students, and industry professionals will find this book an invaluable resource for further study on the topic. - Provides information on stem and gene therapy medical trials from contributors and specialists around the world, including not only what has been completed, but also what is planned for future research and trials - Presents topics that can be applied to allogeneic cells, mesenchymal cells, gene therapy, cardiomyoctyes, iPS cells, MAPC's, and organogenesis - Covers the three areas with the greatest clinical trials to date: chronic limb ischemia, chronic angina, and acute MI - Covers the prevailing opinions on how to harness the body's natural repair mechanisms - Ideal resource for cardiology researchers, basic science clinicians, fellows, residents, students, and industry professionals

This Volume of the series Cardiac and Vascular Biology offers a comprehensive and exciting, state-of-the-art work on the current options and potentials of cardiac regeneration and repair. Several techniques and approaches have been developed for heart failure repair: direct injection of cells, programming of scar tissue into functional myocardium, and tissue-engineered heart muscle support. The book introduces the rationale for these different approaches in cell-based heart regeneration and discusses the most important considerations for clinical translation. Expert authors discuss when, why, and how heart muscle can be salvaged. The book represents a valuable resource for stem cell researchers, cardiologists, bioengineers, and biomedical scientists studying cardiac function and regeneration.

STEM CELL BIOLOGY AND GENE THERAPY Edited by Peter J. Quesenberry, Gary S. Stein, Bernard Forget, and Sherman Weissman Advances in molecular genetics and recombinant DNA technology have ushered in a new era in medical therapeutic research. New insights into the molecular basis of human disease and the role played by biological regulatory mechanisms have precipitated tremendous drug development efforts backed by intensive research into human gene therapy worldwide. Stem Cell Biology and Gene Therapy is the first book to thoroughly cover major advances in the field and their applications to novel molecular therapies. This self-contained volume integrates biological and clinical components of stem cell biology, examines some of the most difficult aspects of gene therapy, and provides a systematic review of advanced gene modification techniques. Twenty essays by leading researchers address some of the most compelling topics in contemporary medical research, including: * Fundamental regulatory mechanisms that operate in stem cells * Stem cells from a therapeutic perspective, including preparations of stem cells and their therapeutic potential as vehicles for gene therapy * Delivery systems for therapeutic genes, including an overview of the most promising vectors * Clinical applications for gene therapy, covering a broad range of diseases such as hemophilia, cancers, neurological disease, and more Complete with illustrations and real-world examples of a variety of disorders, Stem Cell Biology and Gene Therapy is essential for researchers in gene therapy and members of the biotechnology industry who are developing human molecular therapies for commercial use. It is also an important reference for molecular biologists, cell biologists, immunologists, molecular geneticists, hematologists, cancer researchers, biochemists, and anyone working in internal medicine.

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.

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

Examples from various organs and diseases illustrate the potential benefit obtained when both therapeutic approaches are combined with delivery strategies. Representing the combined effort of several leading international research and clinical experts, this book, Emerging Trends in Cell and Gene Therapy, provides a complete account on and brings into sharp focus current trends and state-of-the-art in important areas at the interface of cell- and gene-based therapies. This book addresses the current fragmented understanding regarding these two research areas and fills the vast unmet educational need and interest of both students and researchers in academia and industry. Main features of the book: · Biological aspects of stem cell sources, differentiation and engineering. · Application of microfluidics to study stem cell dynamics · Potential clinical application of stem cells and gene therapy to specific human disease. · Utilization of biomaterials and stem cells in regenerative medicine with particular emphasis on spinal cord repair, ligament and bone tissue engineering. · Biomimetic multiscale topography for cell alignment.

During the past decades, with the introduction of the recombinant DNA, hybridoma and transgenic technologies there has been an exponential evolution in understanding the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of a large number of human diseases. The technologies are evident with the development of cytokines and monoclonal antibodies as therapeutic agents and the techniques used in gene therapy. Immunopharmacology is that area of biomedical sciences where immunology, pharmacology and pathology overlap. It concerns the pharmacological approach to the immune response in physiological as well as pathological events. This goals and objectives of this textbook are to emphasize the developments in immunology and pharmacology as they relate to the modulation of immune response. The information includes the pharmacology of cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, mechanism of action of immune-suppressive agents and their relevance in tissue transplantation, therapeutic strategies for the treatment of AIDS and the techniques employed in gene therapy. The book is intended for health care professional students and graduate students in pharmacology and immunology.

This detailed book provides methodological information on cardiac gene delivery, from classic to state-of-the-art technologies and techniques. Efficient, cardiac-specific, and safe vectors, as well as refined vector delivery methods, are key for successful cardiac gene transfer and eventually for improving patients’ outcomes. Newer vectors and more efficient vector delivery methods have the potential to dramatically improve gene transduction efficacy, while novel gene manipulation techniques enforce the therapeutic power and broaden disease targets. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Cardiac Gene Therapy: Methods and Protocols serves as a valuable tool for molecular biologists and physiologists in the cardiology field conducting cardiac gene transfer research, which will ultimately lead to further advancements in the vital field.

Stem Cells in Clinical Practice and Tissue Engineering is a concise book on applied methods of stem cell differentiation and optimization using tissue engineering methods. These methods offer immediate use in clinical regenerative medicine. The present volume will serve the purpose of applied stem cell differentiation optimization methods in clinical research projects, as well as be useful to relatively experienced stem cell scientists and clinicians who might wish to develop their stem cell clinical centers or research labs further. Chapters are arranged in the order of basic concepts of stem cell differentiation, clinical applications of pluripotent stem cells in skin, cardiac, bone, dental, obesity centers, followed by tissue engineering, new materials used, and overall evaluation with their permitted legal status.

The book provides and intensive overview on exosomes in cardiovascular diseases, its potential as biomarkers, as well as pathological and therapeutic effects. It firstly describes the general aspects of exosomes including the definition, formation and secretion of exosomes and highlight their roles as biomarkers and pathological and therapeutic effects in cardiovascular diseases as well. Secondly, basic aspects of exosomes including the purification methods of exosomes, exosomes content, and functional roles of the cardiovascular exosomes are summarized. Thirdly, exosomes as biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases are overviewed including their roles in diagnosis, prognosis and reaction to therapy. Fourthly, pathological effects of exosomes and therapeutic effects of exosomes are highlighted. Finally, future prospects of exosomes in cardiovascular research would be provided. This is an essential reference for researchers working in cell biology and regeneration, as well as clinicians such as cardiologist.