In recent years cell-based technologies have gained significant scientific attention, and have become a matter of intense public debate as well. Namely, (i) tissue engineering, the construction of tissues and whole organs using molecularly-designed resorbable biomaterials to create new tissue de novo with or without transplanting cells; (ii) the potential use of human embryonic stem cells for transplantation and regenerative medicine (with similar potential for adult-derived stem cells); (iii) and gene therapy, in relation with cell transplantation, have taken their places as the most discussed biomedical issues of the day. New findings in biomimetic materials, cell signalling pathways, extracellular matrix receptors and ligands, growth factors, and the human genome project are motivating the developments in these challenging research areas. This book includes manuscripts on tissue engineering, stem cells and gene therapies authored by world-renowned scientists of the field.

The first section of the volume consists of four chapters giving perspectives for the current status and potential future of tissue engineering and stem cell technologies. The second section of the volume includes five chapters based on experimental and clinical data. In this section, the role of stem cells in liver tissue engineering, cell-based therapies in diabetes mellitus, and chronic degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, and adult-derived stem cell therapies are discussed. The two chapters of the third section focus on the biomarkers for tissue-engineered products, namely for tissue-engineered skin. The eight chapters of the fourth section discuss novel biomaterials developed for neural-, vascular-, aortic-, bone-, cartilage- and endocrine pancreas-tissue engineering applications.

The last section of the book includes chapters on practical gene targeting applications, controlled release in gene therapy and tissue engineering, antibodies in cancer, acute-phase genes and phage-displayed peptide libraries. Proceedings of BIOMED 2002 -- The 9th International Symposium on Biomedical Science and Technology, held September 19-22, 2002, in Antalya, Turkey.