I. Introductory Chapters<br>Pluripotential stem cells from vertebrate embryos: Present perspective and future challenges <br>Postnatal stem cells<br>Adult epithelial tissue stem cells<br>Mesenchymal stem cells<br>Stem cells, plasticity and regeneration<br><br>II. Methods for Preparing Embryonic or Pluripotent Stem Cells<br>Setting up a facility for human embryonic stem cell research <br>Approaches for derivation and maintenance of human embryonic stem cells: Detailed procedures and alternatives<br>Derivation and differentiation of human embryonic germ cells<br>Genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells<br>Induced pluripotential stem cell derivation<br><br>III. Types and Properties of Stem Cells<br>Molecular basis of pluripotency<br>Characteristics and characterization of human pluripotential stem cells<br>Multipotent adult progenitor cells<br>Bone marrow stem cells: Properties and pluripotency <br>Hematopoietic stem cell properties, markers, and therapeutics<br>Stem cells in the gastrointestinal tract<br>Stem cells derived from amniotic fluid and placenta<br>Nuclear transfer for stem cells<br><br>IV. Application of Stem Cell Biology to Regenerative Medicine<br>Neural stem cells for central nervous system repair<br>Spinal cord injury<br>Stem cells and heart disease<br>Cell-based repair for cardiovascular regeneration: What, why, how and where are we going in the next 5-10 years<br>Pancreatic stem cells<br>Insulin-producing cells derived from stem cells: A potential treatment for diabetes<br>Regeneration of epidermis from adult keratinocyte stem cells<br>Implantation of myogenic cells in skeletal muscles<br>Cell-based therapies for musculoskeletal repair<br>Retinal pigment epithelium derived from embryonic stem cells
