**Meet the editor**

Valarmathi M. Thiruvanamalai is presently an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. He began his scientific career as a cancer geneticist, but soon became captivated with the emerging and translational fields of stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. After completing his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at the University of

Madras, he received his MBBS in Medicine and Surgery and MD in Pathology from the University of Madras, as well as his PhD in Medical Biotechnology from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. For over 15 years, he has had extensive experience in research on various types of stem cells, including adult, embryonic (pluripotent), and induced pluripotent stem cells. Currently, his research work focuses on generating three-dimensional vascularized tissues and/or organs for implantation purposes. He is a member of many prestigious national and international professional societies and scientific organizations, such as ISSCR, TERMIS, AACR, ASIP, ACS, ESC, ISHR, ASGCT, and AHA.

Contents

**Preface VII**

**Applications 3**

Chapter 2 **Stromal Cell Ultrastructure 27**

**Potentials 47**

**Section 1 Stromal Cell Structure and Function 1**

Amany A. Moneim Solaiman

Maria Teresa Gonzalez Garza

**Section 2 Stromal-Tumor Cell Interactions 61**

Flavia Alejandra Bruna

**Development 87**

**Multiple Myeloma 119**

Chapter 1 **Stromal Stem Cells: Nature, Biology and Potential Therapeutic**

Chapter 3 **Adult Stem Cell Membrane Markers: Their Importance and Critical Role in Their Proliferation and Differentiation**

Chapter 4 **Multipotent Stromal Cells in a Tumor Microenvironment 63**

Chapter 5 **Stromal-Epithelial Interactions during Mammary Gland**

Żaneta Dzięgelewska and Małgorzata Gajewska

Chapter 6 **Molecular Aberrations in Bone Marrow Stromal Cells in**

Künel, Mirgul Bayanova and Igor Wolfgang Blau

Olga Blau, Rimma Berenstein, Marlies Wächter, Axel Nogai, Aline

Amira Hassouna, Marwa M. Abd Elgwad and Hoda Fahmy
