Adult Stem Cell Niches. Cellular and Molecular Components.

Amélie Rezza, Rachel Sennett, Michael Rendl

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

70 Scopus citations

Abstract

As stem cells (SCs) in adult organs continue to be identified and characterized, it becomes clear that their survival, quiescence, and activation depend on specific signals in their microenvironment, or niche. Although adult SCs of diverse tissues differ by their developmental origin, cycling activity, and regenerative capacity, there appear to be conserved similarities regarding the cellular and molecular components of the SC niche. Interestingly, many organs house both slow-cycling and fast-cycling SC populations, which rely on the coexistence of quiescent and inductive niches for proper regulation. In this review we present a general definition of adult SC niches in the most studied mammalian systems. We further focus on dissecting their cellular organization and on highlighting recently identified key molecular regulators. Finally, we detail the potential involvement of the SC niche in tissue degeneration, with a particular emphasis on aging and cancer.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCurrent Topics in Developmental Biology
PublisherAcademic Press Inc.
Pages333-372
Number of pages40
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

Publication series

NameCurrent Topics in Developmental Biology
Volume107
ISSN (Print)0070-2153

Keywords

  • Activation
  • Adult stem cells
  • Quiescence
  • Self-renewal
  • Signaling
  • Stem cell niche

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Adult Stem Cell Niches. Cellular and Molecular Components.'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this