Adult Stem Cells In The Human Thyroid Gland - Embryological Origin, Experimental Detection, And Molecular Characterisation

In the recent years there has been increasing scientific interest in the identification and experimental use of adult stem cells. These are defined as undifferentiated cells found in differentiated tissues that can renew and (with certain limitations) differentiate to yield all the specialized cell types of the tissue from which they originated. In the present work a distinct group of thyroid cell progenitors bearing adult stem cell characteristics are identified within fully differentiated human thyroid glands. Their identification is performed using cell cultures and various molecular biology techniques, such as RT-PCR, FACS and immunhistochemistry. Besides describing an experimental method of stem cell detection, this book provides useful insights in thyroid gland embryology and adult stem cell biology. As a conclusion, a theoretical link between adult stem cells and thyroid tumorigenesis is presented and discussed. The book is addressed to stem cell researchers as well as scientists active in the fields of embryology, molecular biology and experimental endocrinology.