Recommended Books on Stem Cells
The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy (Basic Bioethics) CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book for 2002
Human embryonic stem cells can divide indefinitely and have the potential to develop into many types of tissue. Research on these cells is essential to one of the most intriguing medical frontiers, regenerative medicine. It also raises a host of difficult ethical issues and has sparked great public interest and controversy.
This book offers a foundation for thinking about the many issues involved in human embryonic stem cell research. It considers questions about the nature of human life, the limits of intervention into human cells and tissues, and the meaning of our corporeal existence. The fact that stem cells may be derived from living embryos that are destroyed in the process or from aborted fetuses ties the discussion of stem cell research to the ongoing debates on abortion. In addition to these issues, the essays in the book touch on broader questions such as who should approve controversial research and what constitutes human dignity, respect, and justice. The book contains contributions from the Ethics Advisory Board of the Geron Coroporation; excerpts from expert testimony given before the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, which helped shape recent National Institutes of Health policy; and original analytical essays on the implications of this research.
Essentials of Stem Cell Biology This abridged version of the bestselling reference Handbook of Stem Cells, Two-Volume Set attempts to incorporate all the essential subject matter of the original two-volume edition in a single volume. The material has been reworked in an accessible format suitable for students and general readers interested in following the latest advances in stem cells, including full color presentation throughout. Although some extra language and chapters have been deleted, rigorous effort has been made to retain from the original two-volume set the material pertinent to the understanding of this exciting area of biology.
The organization of the book remains largely unchanged, combining the prerequisites for a general understanding of adult and embryonic stem cells; the tools, methods, and experimental protocols needed to study and characterize stem cells and progenitor populations; as well as a presentation by the world's experts of what is currently known about each specific organ system.
* Full-color presentation througout
* Each chapter begins with 3-5 defined glossary terms, and all of the terms are collected in a comprehensive list within the book
* References have been eliminated - now there are about 10 bibliographic entries per chapter
Human Embryonic Stem Cells: The Practical Handbook 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 regenertative 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: "... 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
Basic Questions on Genetics, Stem Cell Research and Cloning: Are These Technologies Okay to Use? (Biobasics Series) (BioBasics Series) Cutting-edge medical ethics issues are addressed by nationally recognized experts. The BioBasics Series confronts the maze of challenging questions with biblical responses and uncompromising respect for all human life.
Stem Cell Research For Dummies® (For Dummies (Health & Fitness)) Stem Cell Research For Dummies is the first authoritative, yet accessible, guide to the subject, and among its topics will be:
- What stem cells are, what they do, and what they might be able to do, if research continues
- The differences between adult stem cells and embryonic / umbilical cord stem cells and where (and why) battle lines are drawn
- The legalities of stem cell harvesting and transplanting
- How to store stem cells and why
- Medical success stories using stem cell therapy
- What research is being done to further advance our knowledge and use of stem cells
- Both sides of the political debate, and the pros and cons of each side's opinions
Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology)
For over forty years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been scrutinized and studied, garnering much attention due to their broad therapeutic efficacy. In Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols, leaders in the field were assembled to contribute detailed methodologies for the isolation and characterization of human and rodent MSCs. Recently, these vital cells have shown therapeutic benefits in the treatment of myocardial infarction, stroke, lung diseases, spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders, thus promising a boundless future in their study. Cutting edge and easy to use, Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols is the perfect resource for scientists attempting to pursue this important and ever-developing field of research.
Stem Cell Research: The Ethical Issues (Metaphilosophy) The social and political climate surrounding human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is constantly changing, as is the science, with new developments occurring at a regular pace. Rapid changes can exacerbate fears, and fears often contribute to sweeping pronouncements and prohibitions that may not, ultimately, withstand rational scrutiny. This collection of essays represent one of the most philosophically engaged and biologically informed discussions of the central ethical issues raised by stem cell research to date.
* Do blastocysts have moral status?
* Do stem cells themselves have a special status?
* Can "surplus" embryos respectfully be used for research?
* Should human-animal chimeras be created?
* Should women be paid for their eggs?
* What is the best mechanism for dealing with deep disagreements in a democratic society?
The carefully constructed arguments that seek to answer these questions should contribute to and encourage more rigorous public debate about the ethics of stem cell research.
God and the Embryo Discussions and debates over the medical use of stem cells and cloning have always had a religious component. But there are many different religious voices. This anthology on how religious perspectives can inform the difficult issues of stem cell research and human cloning is essential to the discussion. Contributors reflect the spectrum of Christian responses, from liberal Protestant to evangelical to Roman Catholic. The noted moral philosopher, Laurie Zoloth, offers a Jewish approach to cloning, and Sondra Wheeler contributes her perspective on both Jewish and Christian understandings of embryonic stem cell research.
In addition to the discussions found here, GOD AND THE EMBRYO includes a series of official statements on stem cell research and cloning from religious bodies, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church in America, the United Methodist Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the Rabbinical Council of America. "Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry," from the statement of the President's Council on Bioethics, concludes the book. The debates and the discussions will continue, but for anyone interested in the nuances of and religious perspectives that make their important contributions to these ethically challenging and important dialectics, GOD AND THE EMBRYO is an invaluable resource.
How Adult Stem Cell Therapies Saved My Life: Medicine's Best-Kept Secret Can Save Your Life, Too Laced with hope and promise, How Adult Stem Cell Therapies Saved My Life: Medicine's Best-Kept Secret Can Save Your Life, Too is the story of one man's quest to survive congestive heart failure and tout the nearly miraculous results of adult stem cell treatments. Seven years ago, van Zyl suffered cardiac arrest; his heart literally stopped until doctors shocked his chest. Over the next ten months, after receiving bypass surgery, an angioplasty, and entering a cardiac rehabilitation program, van Zyl's heart was still deteriorating. Turned down by two heart transplant centers, van Zyl's only hope lay in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or more specifically, a new FDA-approved clinical trial for adult stem cell therapies. One of 24 patients selected with heart failure, van Zyl entered the aggressive treatment group in 2004, where adult stem cells were harvested from van Zyl's own body and injected directly into his failing heart. The results were astonishing. Now 73, van Zyl lives a healthy, vigorous life. How Adult Stem Cell Therapies Saved My Life offers a plethora of information on the latest adult stem cell treatments for over a dozen diseases and conditions. While much has been made of the medical viability and ethical concerns of other types of stem cell therapies, van Zyl is living proof that adult stem cell therapies can save lives.
Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplants: A Guide For Patients Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants: A Guide for Patients is the next generation of Susan K. Stewart's groundbreaking 1992 book Bone Marrow Transplants: A Book of Basics for Patients. This new 228 paage guide combines solid medical information with the voices of people who have been through a transplant.
Comprehensive and easy-to-read, Bone Marrow and Blood Stem Cell Transplants: A Guide for Patients is a goldmine of information for people considering a transplant with donor marrow or stem cells. The book covers a variety of topics and issues such as; History of Transplantation Nuts and Bolts of a Transplant
Choosing a Transplant Center
Finding a Stem Cell Donor
Being a Donor
Emotional/Psychological Considerations
When Your Child Needs a Transplant
Preparative Regimen
Graft-versus-Host Disease
Infection
Liver Complications
Nutrition
Relieving Pain
Caregiving
Long Term Survivors: What Lies Ahead
Sexuality and Reproduction
Insurance and Fundraising
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