Among the many applications of stem cell research are nervous system diseases, diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune diseases as well as Parkinsons disease, end-stage kidney disease, liver failure, cancer, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimers disease. Stem cells are self-renewing, unspecialised cells that can give rise to multiple types all of specialised cells of the body. Stem cell research also involves complex ethical and legal considerations since they involve adult, foetal tissue and embryonic sources. This new book brings together leading research from throughout the world in this frontier field.