Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine

Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 112
Release: 2002-01-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309170427

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.

Mammalian Development

Mammalian Development
Author: Patrick P. L. Tam
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2013
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781936113248

"A subject collection from Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology."

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2000-12-21
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0309070864

Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment reviews advances made during the last 10-15 years in fields such as developmental biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It describes a novel approach for how these advances might be used in combination with existing methodologies to further the understanding of mechanisms of developmental toxicity, to improve the assessment of chemicals for their ability to cause developmental toxicity, and to improve risk assessment for developmental defects. For example, based on the recent advances, even the smallest, simplest laboratory animals such as the fruit fly, roundworm, and zebrafish might be able to serve as developmental toxicological models for human biological systems. Use of such organisms might allow for rapid and inexpensive testing of large numbers of chemicals for their potential to cause developmental toxicity; presently, there are little or no developmental toxicity data available for the majority of natural and manufactured chemicals in use. This new approach to developmental toxicology and risk assessment will require simultaneous research on several fronts by experts from multiple scientific disciplines, including developmental toxicologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians.

Cell Interactions in Visual Development

Cell Interactions in Visual Development
Author: S. Robert Hilfer
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 200
Release: 1988
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

The eye has fascinated scientists from the earliest days of biological in vestigation. The diversity of its parts and the precision of their interaction make it a favorite model system for a variety of developmental studies. The eye is a particularly valuable experimental system not only because its tissues provide examples of fundamental processes, but also because it is a prominent and easily accessible structure at very early embryonic ages. In order to provide an open forum for investigators working on all aspects of ocular development, a series of symposia on ocular and visual devel opment was initiated in 1973. A major objective of the symposia has been to foster communication between the basic research worker and the clinical community. It is our feeling that much can be learned on both sides from this interaction. The idea for an informal meeting allowing maximum ex change of ideas originated with Dr. Leon Candeub, who supplied the nec essary driving force that made the series a reality. Each symposium has concentrated on a different aspect of ocular development. Speakers have been selected to approach related topics from different perspectives.

Animal Applications of Research in Mammalian Development

Animal Applications of Research in Mammalian Development
Author: Roger A. Pedersen
Publisher: Banbury Report
Total Pages: 360
Release: 1991
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

Recent progress in cell and molecular biology has profound implications for understanding the developmental biology of mammalian embryos. The unifying theme of this volume is a cellular and molecular approach to gametogenesis, embryogenesis, and maternal-fetal interactions in the developmental biology of agriculturally significant mammals. Great progress has been achieved in our understanding of preimplantation mammalian embryogenesis in laboratory species, particularly the mouse, through application of cell and embryo culture methods, cell biological techniques, and, more recently, recombinant DNA technology. A major remaining opportunity is the application of these techniques to problems in domestic species, such as improved methods for in vitro growth and maturation of oocytes, egg and embryo cryopreservation, and genetic manipulation to enhance productivity and herd quality. The authors review current knowledge in key areas, emphasizing new approaches to unsolved problems in the developmental biology of domestic species.

Extracellular Matrix in Development

Extracellular Matrix in Development
Author: Douglas W. DeSimone
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2013-03-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642359353

Cells in the developing embryo depend on signals from the extracellular environment to help guide their differentiation. An important mediator in this process is the extracellular matrix – secreted macromolecules that interact to form large protein networks outside the cell. During development, the extracellular matrix serves to separate adjacent cell groups, participates in establishing morphogenic gradients, and, through its ability to interact directly will cell-surface receptors, provides developmental clocks and positional information. This volume discusses how the extracellular matrix influences fundamental developmental processes and how model systems can be used to elucidate ECM function. The topics addressed range from how ECM influences early development as well as repair processes in the adult that recapitulate developmental pathways.