Neural Development and Stem Cells

This extensively expanded and updated edition reflects the enormous increase in our knowledge of the development of the nervous system. Working from a new understanding that the regionalization of stem cells occurs early in development and that this bias appears to persist even after prolonged culture, Dr. Rao has added additional chapters on olfactory epithelial stem cells and retinal stem cells, both of which differ in their properties from ventricular zone and subventricular zone-derived neural stem cells. A new chapter on cell death summarizes the important changes in the death pathway that occurs as stem cells mature. Special attention is paid to the derivation of neural cells from embryonic stem cells. Authoritative and up-to-date, Neural Development and Stem Cells, Second Edition provides neuroscientists with a handy guide to stem cells in the nervous system, tracing with great clarity the development of stem cells from differentiation to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.

For the third edition of this work Dr. Rao and his fellow editors have worked diligently with the contributors to revise and expand each chapter.  Additional information about our understanding of the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into the various neural cell types has been included. Particular attention has been focused on the chapters describing retinal epithelium and neuroglial differentiation, as these cells are currently being delivered in early phase clinical trials. Given the recent findings about the importance of cell death in tumorigenesis, the issue of cell death regulation in the nervous system has been further explored.  The issue of transdifferentiation has also been discussed and extensively updated given the recent findings on direct differentiation and reprogramming of cells.