Human Embryonic Stem Cells (PDF)

Although there is great interest in the potential for using stem cells as cell replacements and other treatments for diseases that currently have no cure, research on the biology of human embryonic stem cells is still in its infancy. In Human Embryonic Stem Cells, pioneers, leaders, and experts in this emerging field join forces to address all the key issues in the use of human pluripotent stem cells for treating degenerative diseases or for replacing tissues lost from trauma. On the practical side, these topics range from the problems of deriving human embryonic stem cells and driving their differentiation along specific lineages, regulating their development into mature cells, and bringing stem cell therapy to clinical trials. The authors cover the criteria used by investigators in different fields to recognize mature phenotypes of specific tissues. Regulatory issues are addressed in discussions of the ethical debate surrounding the derivation of human embryonic stem cells and the current policies governing their use in the United States and abroad, including the rules and conditions regulating federal funding and questions of intellectual property.

Reviewing the most pressing issues involved in human embryonic stem cell research, Human Embryonic Stem Cells, provides an invaluable sourcebook for researchers seeking a review of their basic biology and an unbiased assessment of their potential for new therapies.