Stem cell biology over the last 6 decades has become one of the most exciting, informative, rapidly changing and possibly clinically transformative areas of scientific and clinical investigation in the natural sciences. The clinical discipline of regenerative medicine has the potential of providing curative approaches for a whole host of genetic, malignant and age-related disorders that originate at the stem cell level.

The new English edition of the book entitled “Stem Cells” which was edited by Drs Laura Bonsi and Francesco Alviano, provides a concise yet authoritative, timely and expert summary of our current understanding of stem cell biology. Although this field is rapidly changing, this textbook supplies its readers with a solid foundation by which to integrate and critically evaluate the almost daily onslaught of papers that deal with stem cells published in a numbing number of journals.

Without the availability of a primer on stem cells these rapid advances are difficult to evaluate not only for the stem cell neophyte but also for the aficionado. This authoritative text was conceived as a collaboration between Drs. Bonsi and Alviano with Dr Gian Paolo Bagnara, who unfortunately passed away in 2014.

Gian Paolo was a scholar, a good friend, a lover of the arts and a stem cell biologist. He was a Professor in Histology at the University of Bologna for over 3 decades. During his tenure in Bologna, he was one of the co-founders of their course in Biotechnology which helped many young scientists appreciate the science that was required to translate a stem cell product into the clinic. He was able to balance a robust laboratory-based stem cell research program with demanding teaching responsibilities.

His understanding of the need to educate scientists and communicate the potential of stem cell science is best exemplified by this book His love of science was only exceeded by his love of his family and the University that he so faithfully served. The creation of this book represents a herculean task that outlines the fundamentals and nuances of stem cell biology. The text is provided by the talented editors and their carefully chosen team of authors. I am certain that Gian Paolo would smile and approve of this book and explain the need to continue to educate our colleagues and ourselves with the assistance of this well-timed volume. Access to a didactic approach, provided by this book, has surely been missing in the area of stem cell biology Admittedly, stem cell science and medicine change quickly but these advances can only be placed in proper perspective with the information provided by this wonderful volume.

“Stem Cells” fills a void in educational tools available to educate the next generation of students of stem cell medicine. This marvelous book serves as a scientific companion and a resource for stem cell scientists, clinicians and students as our field continues to move incrementally forward.

Ronald Hoffman, MD
Albert A. and Vera G. List Professor of Medicine,
Director, Myeloproliferative Disorders Research Program,
Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine,
New York, NY, USA