Discover how perinatal stem cells may prove to be a more powerful therapeutic tool than embryonic stem cells Normally discarded as medical waste, perinatal stem cells are an incredible source of stem cells and are gaining phenomenal research attention for their potential to become a more powerful alternative to the controversial embryonic stem cells. In response to this growing field, this book provides a thorough tutorial on the current state of the art in perinatal stem cells. Presented by a panel of authorities whose expertise reaches from research to hematology to tissue engineering and beyond, this important volume covers all of the sources of stem cells found throughout pregnancy, revealing the underlying biology and potential therapeutic uses of each: Post-gestational maternal peripheral blood Umbilical cord blood Wharton's jelly Amniotic fluid Amnion lining the amniotic cavity Umbilical vein Chorionic mesenchymal stromal cells Multi-potent cells Placenta stem cells This bookis a bountiful source for researchers, graduate students, cell biologists, gene therapists, obstetricians and gynecologists, and professionals engaged in regenerative medicine and developmental biology.