Stem Cells in Marine Organisms

• Stem Cells: Autonomy Interactors that Emerge as Causal Agents and Legitimate Units of Selection.- Putative Stem Cell Origins in Solitary Tunicates.- Cnidarian Interstitial Cells: The Dawn of Stem Cell Research.- Stem Cells in Aquatic Invertebrates: Common Premises and Emerging Unique Themes.- Stem Cells in Asexual Reproduction of Marine Invertebrates.- Neuroimmune Chemical Messengers and Their Conservation During Evolution.- Regenerating Echinoderms: A Promise to Understand Stem Cells Potential.- Secondary Mesenchyme Cells as Potential Stem Cells of the Sea Urchin Embryo.- Cell Dynamics in Early Embryogenesis and Pluripotent Embryonic Cell Lines: From Sea Urchin to Mammals.- Regeneration in Hemichordates and Echinoderms.- Stem Cells in Sexual and Asexual Reproduction of Botryllus schlosseri (Ascidiacea, Tunicata): An Overview.- Stem Cells, Chimerism and Tolerance: Lessons from Mammals and Ascidians.- Effect of Bacterial Infection on Stem Cell Pattern in Porifera.- Defence Mechanisms and Stem Cells in Holothuria polii and Sipunculus nudus.

From the reviews: "The comprehensive analytical reviews on stem cells of various metazoans, including some theoretical generalizations and constructs, which are presented in this book, clarify the general picture of the contemporary state of this field of research. The book consists of 14 chapters, including theoretical reviews and specialized reviews and studies. ... The materials presented in it will be interesting and useful not only for stem cell experts but also for many developmental biologists, comparative cytologists, and zoologists."--- (V. V. Isaeva, Russian Journal of Developmental Biology, Vol. 41 (4), 2010)