Stem Cells Handbook

Recent developments in stem cell research have crystallised the work of haematologists, embryologists, developmental biologists and cancer researchers, and have revealed the potential of adult stem cells from different sources for tissue regeneration and repair. The stated goal of The Stem Cells Handbook was to provide the background and current understanding of what stem cells are and what they can do. Accordingly, different chapters address stem cells from the liver, pancreas, nervous system, retina and lung as well as haemopoietic stem cells and bone marrow stromal or mesenchymal stem cells. The book is not divided into sections, but the arrangement of the chapters follows a logical progression. The first chapters cover different aspects of stem cell biology and, in particular, the chapter by Huang and Ingber introduces concepts about pattern formation, which will be crucial in the future in order to develop three-dimensional tissues from stem cells in vitro without a template. The next part of the book consists of the chapters concerning stem cells from different tissues, which also address the potential of each stem cell type for future therapies. Finally, Doyonnas and Blau provide a well-balanced summary of the current state-of-the-art and pose many questions that, as yet, have no answers. For such a wide-ranging volume, The Stem Cells Handbook is remarkably successful in meeting the editor's goal of presenting a massive amount of information in a single resource.