There is excitement generated almost daily about the possible uses of stem cells to treat human disease. The ability of stem cells to acquire different desired phenotype has opened the door for a new discipline: regenerative medicine. Much of the interest for this purpose is generated by embryonic stem cells, but their use is still controversial for moral reasons as well as scientifically. Less controversial and readily available are the adult bone marrow-derived progenitors including hematopoietic stem cells, endothelial progenitors and mesenchymal stem cells. The ambitious goal of this volume is to provide - in chapters written by accomplished scientists and experts in their field - a comprehensive overview of the currently available information related to the therapeutic utility of adult bone marrow-derived cells.
