Robert Lanza is an American scientist and author whose research spans the range of natural science, from biology to theoretical physics. TIME magazine recognized him as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World,” and Prospect magazine named him one of the Top 50 "World Thinkers.” He has hundreds of scientific publications and over 30 books, including definitive references in the fields of stem cells, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. He's a former Fulbright Scholar and studied with polio-pioneer Jonas Salk and Nobel laureates Gerald Edelman (known for his work on the biological basis of consciousness) and Rodney Porter. He also worked closely (and co-authored papers in Science on self-awareness and symbolic communication) with noted Harvard psychologist BF Skinner. Dr. Lanza was part of the team that cloned the world's first human embryo, the first endangered species, and published the first-ever reports of pluripotent stem cell use in humans.

Section I: In Vitro Experimentation and Research Tools

[1]: Human Embryo Culture

[2]: Characterization and Evaluation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

[3]: Feeder-Free Culture of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

[4]: Transgene Expression and RNA Interference in Embryonic Stem Cells

[5]: Lentiviral Vector-Mediated Gene Delivery into Human Embryonic Stem Cells

[6]: The Use of Retroviral Vectors for Gene Transfer into Hematopoietic Stem Cells

[7]: Engineering Embryonic Stem Cells with Recombinase Systems

[8]: Gene Trapping in Embryonic Stem Cells

[9]: GeneChips in Stem Cell Research

[10]: Microarray Analysis of Stem Cells and Differentiation

[11]: Purification of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Using the Side Population

[12]: Cellular Reprogramming

Section II: Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

[13]: Tissue Engineering Using Adult Stem Cells

[14]: Tissue Engineering Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells

[15]: Engineering Cardiac Tissue from Embryonic Stem Cells

[16]: Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering

[17]: Bone Reconstruction with Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

[18]: Engineering Three-Dimensional Tissue Structures Using Stem Cells

[19]: Immunogenicity of Embryonic Stem Cells and Their Progeny

[20]: Manufacturing Considerations for Clinical Uses of Therapies Derived from Stem Cells

Author Index

Subject Index

This is the third of three planned volumes in the Methods in Enzymology series on the topic of stem cells. This volume is a unique anthology of stem cell techniques written by experts from the top laboratories in the world. The contributors not only have hands-on experience in the field but often have developed the original approaches that they share with great attention to detail. The chapters provide a brief review of each field followed by a "cookbook” and handy illustrations. The collection of protocols includes the isolation and maintenance of stem cells from various species using "conventional” and novel methods, such as derivation of ES cells from single blastomeres, differentiation of stem cells into specific tissue types, isolation and maintenance of somatic stem cells, stem cell-specific techniques and approaches to tissue engineering using stem cell derivatives. The reader will find that some of the topics are covered by more than one group of authors and complement each other. Comprehensive step-by-step protocols and informative illustrations can be easily followed by even the least experienced researchers in the field, and allow the setup and troubleshooting of these state-of-the-art technologies in other laboratories.