Stem cell based therapy is a 21st century approach of therapeutic intervention which epitomizes a shift from conventional symptomatic treatment strategy to addressing the root cause of the disease process. This is especially a hope for the patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer, diabetes, myocardial infarction and other diseases which have always been considered as incurable. Moreover, stem cells provide excellent in vitro disease models for drug development. This book is a compilation of the bench experience of experts from various research labs involved in the cutting edge area of research, describing the use of stem cells both as part of the combinatorial therapeutic intervention approach and as tools (disease model) during drug development.

• Contents
• Preface
• Contributing authors
• List of abbreviations
• 1. Human pluripotent stem-cell-derived vascular cells: in vitro model for angiogenesis and drug discovery
  • 1.1 Introduction
  • 1.2 Formation of blood vessels
  • 1.3 Current models to assess angiogenesis
    • 1.3.1 In vitro assays
    • 1.3.2 In vivo models of angiogenesis
  • 1.4 Promise of stem-cell-based angiogenesis models
  • 1.5 Differentiation of human PSCs into vascular lineages
    • 1.5.1 Embryoid body-mediated differentiation
    • 1.5.2 Co-culture mediated differentiation
    • 1.5.3 Directed vascular differentiation with specific factors and matrix components
  • 1.6 Building blood vessels in vitro – PSC models of angiogenesis
    • 1.6.1 2D co-culture angiogenesis assay
    • 1.6.2 Embryoid body-based 3D angiogenesis models
    • 1.6.3 3D vascular spheroidal co-culture model
    • 1.6.4 In vitro 3D vascularized tissue equivalent (vascular organoids) model
  • 1.7 Conclusions and future outlook
  • 1.8 References
• 2. Role of small molecules in the cardiac differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Epigenetic modifiers and cardiomyogenic differentiation of MSCs
    • 2.2.1 5-azacytidine
    • 2.2.2 Zebularine
    • 2.2.3 RG108
  • 2.3 Cardioprotective compounds
    • 2.3.1 Statins
    • 2.3.2 Resveratrol
    • 2.3.3 Trimetazidine
    • 2.3.4 Pioglitazone
  • 2.4 Fatty acids and ipids
    • 2.4.1 Phorbol myristate acetate
    • 2.4.2 Sphingosine-1-phosphate
  • 2.5 Acids
    • 2.5.1 Salvianolic acid B
    • 2.5.2 Retinoic acid
  • 2.6 Peptides and peptide hormones
    • 2.6.1 Triiodo-L-thyronine
    • 2.6.2 Oxytocin
    • 2.6.3 Neuropeptide Y
  • 2.7 Miscellaneous compounds
  • 2.8 Conclusions
  • 2.9 References
• 3. MicroRNAs as modulators of endothelial differentiation of stem cells: role in vascular regenerative medicine
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 MicroRNAs
  • 3.3 Stem cells in vascular regeneration
  • 3.4 Endothelial enriched miRNAs and their role in angiogenesis
    • 3.4.1 miR-126
    • 3.4.2 miR-17/92 cluster
    • 3.4.3 miR-15a/16
    • 3.4.4 miR-130a
    • 3.4.5 miR-21
  • 3.5 Post-ischemic collateral growth and miRNAs
  • 3.6 miRNAs regulating endothelial differentiation of EPCs and angiogenesis
    • 3.6.1 Role in proliferation
    • 3.6.2 Role in senescence
    • 3.6.3 Role in differentiation
  • 3.7 ESC-specific miRNAs regulating their commitment to ECs
  • 3.8 IPSCs and miRNAs
  • 3.9 Future applications and outlook
  • 3.10 References
• 4. Cells for the repair of damaged skin and cartilage
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 Stem cells in the repair of damaged skin
    • 4.2.1 Skin structure and function
    • 4.2.2 Skin diseases and injuries
    • 4.2.3 Conventional therapy of skin wounds
    • 4.2.4 Cellular therapy of skin wounds
    • 4.2.5 Skin bioengineering
    • 4.2.6 Stem cells for cosmetic purposes
  • 4.3 Stem cells for the repair of damaged cartilage
    • 4.3.1 Cartilage structure and function
    • 4.3.2 Diseases and injury to cartilage
    • 4.3.3 Approaches for repair of cartilage
    • 4.3.4 Repair of damaged cartilage by implantation of stem cells
    • 4.3.5 Transplantation of MSCs
    • 4.3.6 Scaffolds for cartilage repair
  • 4.4 Whether in vitro structures adequately meet in vivo functions?
  • 4.5 Future prospects of cell therapies
  • 4.6 References
• 5. The skeletal muscle stem cells: biology and use in regenerative medicine
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 An overview of satellite cell markers
  • 5.3 The origin of satellite cells and their role in muscle repair and regeneration
  • 5.4 Isolation and culture of muscle stem cells
  • 5.5 Proliferation and differentiation of myogenic stem cells
  • 5.6 Skeletal muscle cells in regenerative therapy and drug development
    • 5.6.1 Satellite cells and SkMs for the treatment of muscular dystrophies
    • 5.6.2 Satellite cells and SkMs for the treatment of sphincter incontinence
    • 5.6.3 Satellite cells and SkMs for cardiomyopathies
  • 5.7 Conclusions
  • 5.8 References
• 6. Nanoparticle-based genetic engineering of mesenchymal stem cells
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Genetic modification of MSCs
  • 6.3 Methods to genetically modify MSCs
  • 6.4 Exploiting nanoparticle technology for genetic priming of stem cells
  • 6.5 Nanoparticle-based systems for gene transfer
    • 6.5.1 Polymer-based nanoparticles
    • 6.5.2 Inorganic nanoparticles
  • 6.6 The mechanism of nanoparticle-based gene transfer
    • 6.6.1 Uptake pathways
    • 6.6.2 Endo-lysosomal escape
  • 6.7 Factors influencing nanoparticle-based gene transfer
    • 6.7.1 Characteristics of nanoparticles as determinants of gene transfer efficiency
    • 6.7.2 Characteristics of cells as determinants of gene transfer efficiency
  • 6.8 Recent advances and modifications in nanoparticle-based gene transfer
    • 6.8.1 Beacon-like modification
    • 6.8.2 Missile-like modification
  • 6.9 Conclusions
  • 6.10 References
• 7. Neural stem cells in regenerative medicine
  • 7.1 Introduction
  • 7.2 Chronology of events involving NSCs
  • 7.3 NSCs in embryonic period
  • 7.4 NSCs in adults
  • 7.5 Identification of the neural stem cells
  • 7.6 Regulation of NSCs
  • 7.7 Neurogenic niche microenvironment
  • 7.8 NSCs in cell-based therapy
    • 7.8.1 NSCs for cell-based therapy of Parkinson’s disease
    • 7.8.2 NSCs for cell-based therapy of AD
    • 7.8.3 NSCs for cell-based therapy for spinal cord injury
    • 7.8.4 NSCs for cell-based therapy of stroke
  • 7.9 Conclusion
  • 7.10 References
• 8. “Paracrining” the heart with stem cells
  • 8.1 Introduction
  • 8.2 Overview of cell transplantation for cardiac repair
  • 8.3 Cellular cardiomyoplasty and paracrine factors
    • 8.3.1 Skeletal myoblasts
    • 8.3.2 BM-derived stem cells
    • 8.3.3 Sca1+/CD31- cells
    • 8.3.4 c-Kit+ cells
    • 8.3.5 Pluripotent stem cells derived cells
  • 8.4 Conclusion
  • 8.5 References
• Index