From the reviews:

“Stem cells and cancer stem cells are 2 distinct, evolving, and promising areas of research. … This book, the second in a planned series of 7 volumes, covers select new research in both fields. This book highlights selected research from renowned scientists around the world. … Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells would be most helpful for basic science researchers studying stem cells and for cancer stem cell preclinical research.” (Paulette Mehta, Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 307 (10), March, 2012)

“This well-written book not only describes current laboratory techniques for studying stem cells, but also summarizes important aspects of the clinical potential of stem cell-based therapy in cancerous and noncancerous human diseases. … a much-needed update of the progress made in major areas of stem cell research applied to clinical medicine. … written for specialists and experts in different areas of clinical medicine, it is an excellent reference and guide for students and basic researchers with a particular interest in this promising and expanding field.” (Luigi Strizzi, Doody’s Review Service, March, 2012)

The fifth volume in the essential series on stem cell biology provides a detailed explanation of the mechanisms of self-renewing cancer stem cells, as well as their ability to generate the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise tumors. It explores the unique resistance of cancer stem cells to conventional chemotherapy techniques able to kill a tumor’s constituent cells. The contents also include a discussion of the myriad applications of a selection of stem cells in treating disease and tissue injury. The cells singled out include human mesenchymal, arterial, neural, cardiac, dental, limbal, and hematopoietic stem cells. The therapeutic utility of uniquely adaptable human embryonic stem cells, able to generate any human cell type, is explored in depth. The volume looks at their uses in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, as well as pharmacological, toxicological, and cell differentiation research. It also sheds light on the processes by which embryonic stem cells begin to differentiate by aggregating into more complex embryoid bodies. With additional material on targeting self-renewal pathways in cancer stem cells, the use of mesenchymal stem cells in treating ischemic brain injury, and the phenomenon of neural stem cell proliferation around traumatic brain injuries, this richly diverse and hugely informative book is a powerful tool for deepening professional expertise among researchers and practitioners in this field.