Periodical
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Neural Stem Cell Therapy for Neurological Disease: Dreams and Reality
Ferdinando Rossi & Elena Cattaneo
Volume 3
Pages 401-401
May 2002
http://0-www.nature.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/nrn/journal/v3/n5/fig_tab/nrn809_F1.html
This article is a well-written review about how difficult stem cell replacement therapy is, especially when dealing with neural transplantation. It examines just what is required from stem cells to be able to produce beneficial effects when treating diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Much of the information focuses on the fact that what may divide in a laboratory may not, once transplanted, actually be incorporated into the recipient tissue. This article goes into detail with images and explanations regarding just how the cells need to be able to cope with specific pathological conditions that are presented by different neurodegenerative diseases. This article gives the reader a good scientific understanding of stem cell application and why it is such a important issue for medical research today.
Website
Stem Cell Therapies
http://www.stemcelltherapies.org/index.htm
This website is a very good source for information concerning stem cell research and therapy. The website is a part of the Steenblock Research Institute. The founder of the Institute, Dr. David Steenblock, is a pioneer in safe, natural and effective treatments, including the use of stem cells from a person’s own bone marrow as well as from umbilical cord blood. It reviews areas concerning what stem cells are, stem cell safety, therapy benefits, treatable conditions, and stem cell research. Links are offered for more detailed information on each of these topics, as well as good basic information and images.
Book
Stem Cell and Gene-Based Therapy, Frontiers in Regenerative Medicine
Alexander Battler, MD, FACC, FESC and Jonathan Leor, MD, FACC, FESC
Springer Books, 2006
http://0-www.springerlink.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/content/u18625/
I am really excited to use this book as part of my research on stem cell therapy. In it a variety of researchers discuss the aspects of cell- and gene-based therapy. There are four major topics covered in this book. The first is, new types of cell therapies and stem cell based therapy for angiogenesis, and cardiac repair. The second is the cell-therapy approaches in neurological areas such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. The third area that is explored involves research done on the development of cell-based systems for cartilage and bone repair, bladder repair, and kidney regeneration. The fourth area involves important work in the eye, specifically, optic nerve regeneration, retinal repair, and ocular surface regeneration. There is additional research examined dealing with cord blood transplantation for various blood disorders and also important areas of research involving skin regeneration and wound healing.
Reference Article
Digital Universe, Stem Cell Overview
Bernard Haisch, August 2008
http://www.digitaluniverse.net/stemcell/articles/view/132838/
The Digital Universe reference article of Bernard Haisch is a good basic overview of stem cells. It begins with a description of what stem cells are, the different types of stem cells and how they can work as a repair system for the body by replenishing specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues. The article contents deal with the different types of stem cells being tested today, mainly, embryonic and adult stem cells. It also addresses the belief that stem cell therapy has the potential to dramatically change the treatment of human disease. It also touches on the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research. This reference guide has several links and additional information that will aid me in my research and it is a good basic beginning to answering my research questions.
