Stem Cells in Birth Defects Research and Developmental Toxicology [Hardcover]

This book contains material contributed by forward-looking scientists who work at the interface of stem cell research and applied science with the aim to improve human fetal safety and the understanding of human developmental and degenerative disorders.

• Provides important platforms and contemporary accounts of the state of stem cell research in the fields of toxicology and teratology
• Considers both in vitro uses of stem cells as platforms for teratology and also stem cellopathies, which are in vivo developmental and degenerative disorders
• Helps the pharmaceutical industry and safety and environmental authorities validate the status quo of in vitro toxicity test systems based on human pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives

List of Contributors xiii

Preface xix

Part I Introduction and Overview 1

1 The Basics of Stem Cells and Their Utility as Platforms to Model Teratogen Action and Human Developmental and Degenerative Disorders 3
Bindu Prabhakar, Soowan Lee, and Theodore P. Rasmussen

1.1 Stem Cell Types and Basic Function 3

1.2 Pluripotency 6

1.2.1 Poised Chromatin of the Pluripotent Epigenome 6

1.2.2 Undirected Differentiation of Pluripotent Cells to Embryoid Bodies 7

1.2.3 Directed Differentiation of Pluripotent Cells 8

1.3 In vitro Uses of Pluripotent Cells 9

1.3.1 Pluripotent Cells for Toxicology 9

1.3.2 Pluripotent Cells for Teratology 11

1.3.3 Limitations of Pluripotent Stem Cells 12

1.4 Adult Stem Cells in vivo 13

1.5 Emerging Trends in Stem Cell Culture 14

1.5.1 Use of Coculturelcä