Epithelial Stem Cells: Turning over New Leaves
February 2007
in “Cell”
TLDR Epithelial stem cells are crucial for tissue renewal and repair, and understanding them could improve treatments for damage and cancer.
The document from February 1, 2007, reviews the critical role of epithelial stem cells in tissue self-renewal, development, and repair, and the common signaling pathways, such as Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch, that regulate these processes across various epithelia. It discusses the identification of these stem cells using label-retaining techniques and the development of a method to mark and isolate living label-retaining cells (LRCs) in transgenic mice. The multipotency of epithelial stem cells is exemplified by their ability to differentiate into multiple lineages in the hair follicle and mammary gland. The review also highlights the potential of epithelial stem cells in regenerative medicine, such as treating burns and blindness, and underscores the importance of understanding their behavior to develop treatments for epithelial tissue damage and cancer.
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