Preface	5
	List of Contents	8
	List of Contributors	10
	Factors Involved in Self-Renewal and Pluripotency of Embryonic StemCells	11
	Introduction	12
	Extrinsic Factors GoverningMaintenance of the Undifferentiated State of ES Cells	13
	Intrinsic Factors GoverningMaintenance of the Undifferentiated State of Embryonic StemCells	18
	Summary	23
	References	24
	Embryonic StemCell-Derived Embryoid Bodies: An In VitroModel of Eutherian Pregastrulation Development and Early Gastrulation	30
	Introduction	30
	The Genesis of the Embryoid Body	31
	The Influence of Embryonic StemCell Lines on Embryoid Body Development	35
	Pregastrulation-Like Development of Embryoid Bodies	38
	Gastrulation-Like Development in Embryoid Bodies	44
	Developmental Noise or Chaos in Embryoid Bodies	48
	Perspectives	49
	Conclusions	50
	References	51
	Embryonic StemCells: A Novel Tool for the Study of Antiangiogenesis and Tumor-Induced Angiogenesis	61
	Introduction	62
	CurrentMethods for Assaying Angiogenesis In Vitro	63
	Angiogenesis in Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Embryoid Bodies	64
	Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Embryoid Bodies as a Tool for Antiangiogenesis Research	66
	Embryonic StemCell-Derived Embryoid Bodies to Study Tumor-Induced Angiogenesis	70
	Conclusions and Outlook	74
	References	75
	Cardiac Repair by Embryonic Stem-Derived Cells	80
	Introduction	81
	Cell Transplantation for Cardiac Repair	81
	Cardiomyogenic Differentiation in Embryonic StemCells	88
	Experiences with Embryonic Stem-Derived Cardiomyocyte Transplantation	92
	Large-Scale Generation of Embryonic Stem-Derived Cardiomyocytes	97
	Conclusions	99
	References	100
	Cardiomyocytes from Human Embryonic Stem Cells	108
	Introduction	109
	Development of the Mammalian Heart	109
	Cardiomyocytes from Embryonic Stem Cells	116
	Characteristics of Human Embryonic StemCell-Derived Cardiomyocytes	120
	Applications and Conclusions	124
	References	125
	Autocrine and Intracrine Signaling for Cardiogenesis in Embryonic StemCells: A Clue for the Development of Novel Differentiating Agents	130
	Introduction	131
	Leukemia Inhibitory Factor	133
	TheWnt Pathway	134
	Endorphins and Autocrine Regulation of Protein Kinase C Signaling in Cardiogenesis	138
	Intracrine Regulation of Cell Growth and Differentiation: Role for a Nuclear Endorphinergic System in Stem Cell Cardiogenesis	140
	Molecular Dissection of Embryonic Stem Cell Cardiogenesis:	144
	A Clue for the Development of Novel Differentiating Agents	144
	References	147
	Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cells in Diabetes	154
	Introduction	155
	Embryonic StemCells	157
	Adult StemCells and Somatic Cells	166
	Pancreas Regeneration	168
	References	170
	The Stem Cell Continuum: A New Model of StemCell Regulation	175
	Introduction	176
	The Hierarchy	176
	The Continuum	178
	Engraftment	180
	Homing	181
	Switch to a Progenitor Phenotype: The Progenitor/Stem Cell Inversion	183
	Differentiation Hotspots in Cell Cycle Transit	184
	Global Gene Expression and Other Stem Cell-Specific Gene Expression	184
	Plasticity and Plasticity: Plasticity Squared	185
	A Continuum Model of Hematopoiesis	185
	References	187
	Markers of Adult Tissue-Based StemCells	190
	Introduction	191
	Common Attributes of Stem Cells	192
	Organ-Specific Stem Cells	200
	Conclusions	222
	References	223
	Designer Cytokines for Human Haematopoietic Progenitor Cell Expansion: Impact for Tissue Regeneration	233
	Introduction	234
	Cytokines and Haematopoietic Stem Cells	235
	Cytokines and Embryonic Stem Cells	241
	Expansion of Haematopoietic StemCells	242
	Outlook	245
	References	246
	Mesenchymal StemCells: Isolation, In Vitro Expansion and Characterization	252
	Introduction	253
	The Identity of the Mesenchymal Stem Cell	254
	Distribution of theMesenchymal Stem Cell	258
	Isolation and Culture ofMesenchymal Stem Cells	259
	Homing and Engraftment of Transplanted Mesenchymal Stem Cells	262
	Characterization of Mesenchymal StemCells	263
	Differentiation ofMesenchymal Stem Cells	265
	Applications of Mesenchymal StemCells in Cell and Gene Therapy	266
	Pharmacologic Aspects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Biology	274
	Conclusions	275
	References	277
	Neovascularization and Cardiac Repair by Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells	286
	Introduction	287
	Neovascularization	287
	Cardiac Repair	288
	Summary	296
	References	297
	The Potential Use ofMyogenic Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine	302
	Introduction	303
	Muscle Regeneration	303
	Myogenic Stem Cells	306
	Conclusion	315
	References	316
	Neural Stem Cells: OnWhere They Hide, in Which Disguise, and HowWe May Lure Them Out	321
	Introductory Remarks	322
	The Biology of the Adult Neural Stem Cell	322
	The Perspectives of Cell Replacement Therapy	341
	When Stem Cells Turn Awry	348
	References	351
	Cell Transplantation for Patients with Parkinson’s Disease	363
	Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease	364
	Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease	365
	Animal Experiments: The Proof of Principle	366
	Clinical Trials in Parkinson’s Disease: What Cells to Graft?	369
	The Grafting Technique	370
	Grafting Embryonic Tissue: Does It Improve the Patient’s Symptoms?	370
	Alternative Cell Sources	375
	Harvesting Endogenous Stem Cells: Self-Repair of the Brain?	380
	Conclusions	381
	References	382
	Postmodern Biology: (Adult) (Stem) Cells Are Plastic, Stochastic, Complex, and Uncertain	391
	Introduction	392
	Pathways of Plasticity	394
	Gene Restrictions: Irreversible Versus Reversible	395
	Stochasticity Versus Determinism in Cell Behavior	400
	Complexity Theory and Emergence of Cellular Phenomena	402
	Cellular Uncertainty: Analogy or Metaphor?	404
	Postmodern Biology	405
	References	407
	Subject Index	411