Stem Cells and Aging covers what is known about the effect of time and age on the basic units of life, which are the corresponding tissue-specific or adult stem cells. Even though the concept of stem cells was introduced nearly a century ago by Alexander Maximow, modern stem-cell research began in 1963 when James Till, Ernest McCullough and Lou Siminovitch established assays to detect hematopoietic stem cells. In fact, given the importance of the aging-associated diseases, scientists have developed a keen interest in understanding the aging process as they attempt to define the role of dysfunctional stem cells in the aging process.
With an aging population worldwide, understanding these age-related stem cell changes at a basic biology level and at the level of their influences for regenerative medicine is of interest and importance. There is increasing evidence that the aging process can have much adverse effects on stem cells. In the modern era, one of the emerging fields in treating human diseases is stem cell research, as stem cells have the remarkable potential to treat a wide range of diseases. Nevertheless, understanding the molecular mechanism involved in aging and deterioration of stem cell function is crucial in developing effective new therapies for aging.
Prof. Surajit Pathak, PhD, is currently working as a professor at Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chennai, India (from 2015 to date). He is currently serving as a principal research scientist (2022 June–Dec 2022) at Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden. He received his PhD degree from India in 2007 and completed his postdoctoral training (2007–15) from the University of Alabama, United States, the University of Padova, Italy, and the University of Linkoping, Sweden. His current research focuses on “Biomarker discoveries for early detection of colorectal cancer.” He has published more than 100 research articles in peer-reviewed international journals of repute with 2233 citations and 27 H-index. Dr. Pathak has edited Elsevier book “Stem Cells and Aging” in 2021. He is the member of various professional research bodies of India, including the Indian Association of Cancer Research and the Indian Science Congress.
Dr. Antara Banerjee, PhD, is presently working as an associate professor at CARE, Chennai from 2016 to date. After completing her PhD in 2008 from India, Dr. Banerjee pursued her postdoctoral work at the University of Padova, Italy and Linkoping University, Sweden (2009–15). She has published over 95 peer-reviewed research articles in international and national journals with citation index-1408 and H-index 19. The Banerjee’s lab at Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute is now focused on understanding the role of mesenchymal stem cells niche in tissue regeneration and exploring signaling pathways in governing stem cell fate. She is the editor of Elsevier book “Stem Cells and Aging” in 2021. She is the member of various professional research bodies, including the Indian Association of Cancer Research and the Indian Science Congress.
