The first book of its kind on marrow stromal cells, and written by leading experts in the field, this concise handbook aims to provide all that is needed to those new to this relatively young area of research. It provides a historical perspective and a summary of present knowledge of the marrow stromal lineages which are currently best understood. Detailed protocols for the isolation, culture and characterization of marrow stromal cell types from human and other animal species are given. The breadth and depth of the subject matter included makes the book equally suitable for new researchers and the more experienced investigator in this rapidly expanding field, including clinicians and bioscientists.