Neural Stem Cells and Adult Neurogenesis

Neural Stem Cells and Adult Neurogenesis provides graduate students and neuroscientists with a basic understanding of what neural stem cells are and the cell types they produce. This early graduate level reference introduces the concept of neural stem cells, describes their physiology and potential for medicine, and provides students with fundamental stem cell information to supplement or cover neuroscience or biomedical courses. An overview of stem cell sources in the human body and a brief mention of relevant diseases provide context for the value of this knowledge. The book also includes chapters on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), the methods used to obtain them, and a review of the ethical challenges associated with stem cell research. The final section focuses on adult neurogenesis in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus. For each region the book provides a description of its neurogenic niche, cellular, and molecular biology and describes the neurons’ contribution to normal and diseased brain function. The level of information is appropriate for early graduate students, introducing technology and molecular biology in an accessible format. This book will improve understanding of this fast-growing field and help the evaluation and integration of new stem cell information in the laboratory.

• Provides a basic understanding of what a stem cell is, the different types, and their potential in health and research
• Details adult neurogenesis, and its role in behavior, stroke, and disease
• Walk-through boxes illustrate experimental concepts presented in the text
• Technology boxes explain new approaches and techniques in stem cell research