Stem Cells in the Respiratory System
In this state-of-the-art exploration of a hugely dynamic and fast-evolving field of research, leading researchers share their collective wisdom on the role that stem cells could play in the context of physiological stress and lung injury. The text focuses
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Series Editor Kursad Turksen [email protected]
For other titles published in this series, go to http://www.springer.com/series/7896
Mauricio Rojas Editor
Stem Cells in the Respiratory System
Editor Mauricio Rojas Department of Medicine Emory University Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine Michael St. 615 30322 Atlanta, Georgia USA [email protected] Department of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine 15213 Pittsburgh, PA
ISBN 978-1-60761-774-7 e-ISBN 978-1-60761-775-4 DOI 10.1007/978-1-60761-775-4 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London Library of Congress Control Number: 2010929281 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Humana Press, c/o Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper Humana Press is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
Lungs are one of the most complex organs; mature lung is composed of at least 40 morphologically differentiated cell lineages with distinct functions. The proximal airways contain mucous, ciliated, basal, Clara, and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, whereas the distal airways contain mainly ciliated cells and nonciliated Clara cells. Alveolar units are almost entirely composed of distinct type I and type II alveolar epithelial cells, directly exposed to the exterior and with the entire blood passing through to be oxygenated. These particular factors make the lung a susceptible organ, a target for multiple types of internal and/or external injury. The mechanisms of lung repair are complex and, depending on the type of cell affected, the repair process might have different characteristics. Because of their multipotentiality, stem cells are considered as a novel and important alternative cell-based therapy in lung injury. To name a cell as a stem cell, it must meet two strict criteria: extended self-renewal capacity and multilineage differentiation. Progenitor cells have some but not limitless self-renewal capacity and restricted lineage differentiation potential. The most completely characterized adult stem cell is the hematopoietic stem cell, which can differentiate into all blood cells, including lymphoid, myeloid, platelet, and red blood cell lineages. Today, the concept of plasticity and transdifferentiation of stem cells and, in particular, adult mesenchymal stem ce
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