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Culture of Human Stem Cells (Culture of Specialized Cells)

2008; Yale University Press; Volume: 81; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

1551-4056

Heath D. Schmidt,

Pluripotent Stem Cells Research

The explosion of interest in human stem cells over the last decade has led to a rapidly expanding field that employs a multitude of techniques to culture and differentiate stem cells. Mining the primary literature for methods and protocols needed to derive, propagate, and characterize embryonic and adult human stem cells can be a daunting task for graduate students, clinicians, and experienced researchers alike. Culture of Human Stem Cells, edited by R. Ian Freshney, Glyn N. Stacey, and Jonathan M. Auerbach, is a collection of established techniques presented in one volume that is designed to stand alone as a singular, definitive resource for anyone interested in the therapeutic potential of human stem cells. The editors present a centralized collection of up-to-date protocols for isolating, culturing, and differentiating embryonic, newborn, and adult human stem cells with an emphasis on characterizing the stem cell phenotype in vitro. The textbook is well organized and structured around chapters contributed by authors with expertise in their respective fields. After an opening chapter dedicated to important quality control issues germane to in vitro stem cell research, subsequent chapters catalog methods for deriving and culturing embryonic stem cells, human germ cells from the postgastrulation fetus, and human embryonic carcinoma cells. Limitations and technological advancements, such as methods for feeder-free propagation of human embryonic stem cells (a notoriously difficult task), are acknowledged and incorporated into the background information on stem cell biology. Other chapters detail isolation and characterization of stem cells from the umbilical cord, umbilical cord blood, and dental pulp. Finally, chapters devoted to culturing adult mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow stroma, soft tissues including cartilage and synovium, mammary tissue, corneal epithelium, and adipose tissue are delineated and, together with the preceding chapters, create a valuable practical guide. Culture of Human Stem Cells is immediately useful and accessible to anyone with an interest in stem cell biology and the therapeutic applications of stem cells. In addition to concise protocols, the book is strengthened by brief discussions focused on comparing and evaluating a limited number of techniques; lists of suggested vendors for the equipment and materials needed to perform the outlined methods; and data illustrating critical steps such as phenotypic characterization of differentiated stem cells. While other manuals, such as Human Embryonic Stem Cells: The Practical Handbook, are more comprehensive guides that include extensive troubleshooting sections, Culture of Human Stem Cells is a staple for the shelves of teachers and students interested in enriching their scientific understanding of stem cell biology, as well as for preclinical and clinical researchers looking to implement new techniques in their laboratory or supplement existing methods.