Advances in Interventional Pulmonology is a comprehensive, evidence-based text on diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures. This volume covers basic and advanced procedures in the subspecialty of interventional pulmonology (IP). The material presented in this text book is also supported with expert opinion (where evidence is lacking) of authors who are leading researchers in the field of IP from around the world. The book delivers information about anatomical, physiological, pathological, and therapeutic concepts in IP to physicians and is, therefore, suitable for readers having different levels of expertise. The authors have also discussed novel and experimental techniques, and procedures when indicated for the benefit of research oriented readers.

This reference presents basic concepts relevant to respiratory function in normal and diseased states.The volume stresses a quantitative approach to physical parameters used as indicators of normal and diseased physiological respiratory function. The contents of this reference allow medical students and physiology researchers to become “clinical detectives” - by presenting information that can be useful for enhancing their understanding of the major abnormalities in terms of ventilation, pulmonary blood perfusion, venous admixture, wasted alveolar ventilation, tissue oxygenation, acid-base balance, respiratory mechanics, control of breathing, etc. This book is intended for first and second year medical students as well as for residents and fellows, especially in disciplines such as anesthesiology and pulmonary medicine. In addition, the unique mechanistic approach of this book also provides a useful reference for teachers of respiratory physiology who are not involved in respiratory research or those who have not been specifically trained in organ-system physiology. This book thus fills this gap by providing a modern physiology faculty some tools for learning the “nuts-and-bolts” of lung physiology and associated respiratory care.

This Ebook is edited by Sandra Hodge, a recognized expert in the field of macrophage dysfunction in chronic lung disease. The book consists of 8 chapters which provide a full coverage of macrophage function in both healthy and chronically diseased lungs, starting with the regulation of macrophage homoestasis to altered macrophage recognition and clearance of pathogens and apoptotic cells in the lung before moving on to macrophage targeted treatment options for chronic lung diseases. The important problem of oxidative and carbonyl stress in the lung and its impact on macrophage function is discussed. Additional chapters deal with the role of disordered macrophage function in cancer progression and the role of chronic alcohol ingestion of macrophage function. Importantly, the book integrates both respiratory cell biology and clinical medicine. The concept of failed macrophage function with regard to chronic lung disease has recently been the topic of intensive research. Key advances in our knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in defective macrophage function have paved the way for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. For this reason the book can be recommended without reservation to a wide spectrum of readers including students, respiratory cell biologists and respiratory clinicians.

This e-book is a review on current understanding of the role of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the lung in health and disease. Topics covered include 1) the expression, function and activation of TLRs during bacterial, viral and fungal infection of the airways, 2) the role of TLRs in the pathogenesis of genetic and environmental pulmonary disorders, and 3) TLR biology in lung transplantation. Each chapter highlights recent advances in a selected domain in lung disease research. This e-book serves as a comprehensive resource for both scientists and clinicians studying innate immune mechanisms in the lung and provides a single reference comprising both basic and specialized information.

This reference presents insights into the development of bone marrow aspirate stem cell (BMAC) technology and the potential role of stem cell expansion in the regeneration of damaged and deficient musculoskeletal tissues. The book features valuable contributions from stem cell therapy experts from around the world. The authors explain the production, proliferation, differentiation into various tissues, and medical applications of stem cells. In addition to work on the use of stem cells in the treatment of non-unions and bone defects, the book explores the potential for articular cartilage regeneration, repair of tendon injuries, the treatment of degenerative joint disease, revascularization of bone and regeneration of damaged nerves as well as spinal cord injury. The authors also explain ethical challenges faced by researchers and public authorities working on stem cells and the varying constraints on the development of this technology around the world. Scientists and surgeons, alike, who are involved in the fields of orthopaedics, rheumatology, stem cell and regenerative medicine will benefit from the illuminating snapshot of the applications of BMAC stem cell expansion presented in the volume.

Research into stem cells started in the 1960s with experiments on spleen cultures. Evans and Kaufman made a breakthrough in mouse embryo culturing and embryonic stem cell extraction in 1981, followed by the work of Thomson in 1998 on the technique for extracting human embryonic stem cells. Since then, stem cell research has rapidly expanded as a therapeutic avenue for different diseases in humans. This book explains the basic developmental biology of stem cells including the development of stem cells during the implantation stage in utero to the regulation of stem cell division. Medical applications of stem cells in the therapy of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and bone diseases are also explained in subsequent chapters. The book also explains the effect of parasitic cells on stem cell growth. Concepts in the book are explained in a simple clear manner, making this book an informative reference for non-experts, students and professionals in the field of biology and medicine.

Pluripotent stem cells have garnered tremendous interest in recent years, which is primarily driven by the hope of finding a cure for several debilitating human diseases. Cell transplantation (regeneratve medicine) offers considerable therapeutic potential. The procedure employs pluripotent stem cells as these have the inherent ability to reproduce indefinitely and have the ability to produce over 200 different types of cells constituting the human body. The isolation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from embryos and their successful culture in a petri dish in 1998 has been considered as a major breakthrough that is set to shape stem cell research in the 21st century. This has been followed by another remarkable breakthrough in 2006 when scientists demonstrated for the first time that such pluripotent stem cells could be produced from adult somatic tissues without having to use human embryos. These pluripotent stem cells are called the induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Both hESCs and iPS cells - highly versatile cells – could pave the way for alleviating patients suffering from diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more. This eBook brings together the information from the last decade on stem cells, compiled by reputed research experts. Readers will learn all aspects of pluripotent stem cells from basic biology to their use in understanding disease process, toxicology, drug discovery and in developing therapeutic strategies. Research on these cells, including transitional and translational aspects, is explained with the aid of extensive figures, colour photographs, and tables. This eBook is a valuable resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, scientists, embryologists, tissue engineers, doctors and biomedical scientists interested in stem cell research and medicine.

This monograph provides a current and in-depth review of scholarly information about mesenchymal stem cells and their application in the craniofacial region of the human body. Chapters in this volume cover biological and conceptual information about mesenchymal stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, craniofacial regeneration, new methods of scaffold fabrication, tooth regeneration and three-dimensional printing in dentistry. The book is suitable for clinicians and cell biologists aiming to gain a better understanding of the promising field of craniofacial regenerative medicine.

The potential use of stem cells in transplantation for the purpose of tissue regeneration is an exciting area of research currently undergoing rapid development. Implantation of human embryonic or autologous, ex vivo-expanded adult stem cells, particularly in older individuals, could circumvent the limited availability of organs/tissues as well as prevent complications related to immune rejection and disease transmission. Musculoskeletal tissue degeneration is closely associated with aging. Strategies employing autologous adult MSCs from older individuals for transplantation in order to regenerate their own ailing organ or tissues require that we vigorously define MSCs capacity to maintain growth potential and differentiation potential into the desirable cell lineages. We are currently restricted by the limited knowledge about physical parameters, such as biomechanical forces, that influence MSC growth and differentiation capacities. This is particularly important for MSCs isolated from older individuals, for whom little information is available. This special volume aims to serve as an impetus in generating more interest among stem cell researchers and biotechnologists to improve and develop the cell-based therapies of damaged tissue using stem cells.

Experts in the field of cellular biology have shown that the reactivation of pluripotency inherent in all cells can allow us to reprogram cells into a specific cell line. This reprogramming paradigm is steadily enhancing our understanding of cell differentiation processes and cellular identity. Consequently, new prospects for cellular therapies of diseases and in vivo regeneration have risen. Stem Cells Between Regeneration and Tumorigenesis focuses on organ specific molecular pathways that trigger two opposite ways that a stem cell can grow (regeneration and neoplasia). Chapters provide a balanced set of information about tissue regeneration and tumorigenesis in several tissues and biological systems (the nervous, circulatory, oral, skin, digestive and endocrine systems). Additional reviews of the immunological role in regulating the two stem cell growth processes and the role of genomics and proteomics in understanding these processes round up the contents of this monograph. Readers of this book will gain the following key benefits: -an insight into the complexity and controversy surrounding the established dual stem cell behavior paradigm (regeneration versus tumorigenesis) -an understanding of the intricate cellular processes such as stem cells maintenance -background knowledge of optimizing tailored therapy in personalized and regenerative medicine Stem Cells Between Regeneration and Tumorigenesis is a useful resource for advanced graduates and researchers undertaking courses in molecular biology and personalized medicine, as well as interns involved in stem cell research programs.