**Chapter 7 123**

The Dual Nature of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): Yin and Yang of the Inflammatory Process *by Carmen Ciavarella and Gianandrea Pasquinelli*

Preface

Since the first description or discovery of mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells in the 1960s and 2006 respectively, these types of stem cells have witnessed enormous progress not only in their manufacture or preparation but also in their clinical utilization to treat several medical diseases. Many experts in the field believe that, in the near future, these specific types of stem cell may reshape the field of medical therapeutics and may eventually become potentially curative

The book presents the latest information on both stem cell types. It is divided into three sections that cover several topics including: update on both cell types with a focus on their clinical utilizations; the use of various types of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of infectious diseases, osteoarthritis, and immunological disorders; in addition to the nature as well as the angiogenic paracrine properties of mesenchymal stem cells. Each chapter was written by scientists and clinicians with

I would like to thank the authors for their valuable contributions, as well as the publishing manager Ms. Sara Debeuc and IntechOpen staff for their remarkable

Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation,

Oncology Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital,

**Khalid A. Al-Anazi**

Dammam, Saudi Arabia

for several chronic and intractable medical conditions.

efforts that ultimately made this book project a reality.

expertise in the field.
