What Does the Concept of the Stem Cell Niche Really Mean Today?

March 2012 in “ BMC biology ”

Arthur D. Lander, Judith Kimble, Hans Clevers, Elaine Fuchs, Didier Montarras, Margaret Buckingham, Anne L. Calof, Andreas Trumpp, Thordur Oskarsson

stem cell niche Notch Wnt FGF EGF TGF-β SCF chemokines hair follicle niche tissue homeostasis stem cell environment fibroblast growth factor epidermal growth factor transforming growth factor beta stem cell factor

TLDR Stem cell niches support, regulate, and coordinate stem cell functions.

The concept of the stem cell niche had evolved significantly by 2012, reflecting advances in cell visualization, monitoring, and manipulation. Researchers highlighted that niches could be composed of various cell types and extracellular structures, and they might produce factors like Notch, Wnt, FGF, EGF, TGF-β, SCF, and chemokines to regulate stem cell functions. Three main roles of niches were proposed: providing special support for stem cell viability, acting as feedback control systems to regulate stem cell pools, and coordinating interactions among different tissue compartments. The hair follicle niche was cited as an example of the latter, where multiple cell types interact closely to maintain tissue homeostasis.

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