Wnt Signaling, Lgr5, and Stem Cells in the Intestine and Skin
February 2009
in “
The American journal of pathology
”
TLDR Lgr5 is a marker for active, self-renewing stem cells in the intestine and skin, important for tissue maintenance.
The 2009 mini-review discussed the role of Wnt signaling and the identification of Lgr5 as a novel stem cell marker in the intestinal epithelium and hair follicle. Lgr5 was found to be expressed in actively cycling stem cells that are capable of self-renewal and multipotency, challenging the previous belief that stem cells are quiescent. These Lgr5-positive cells were shown to maintain tissue homeostasis and could potentially act as a global marker for adult stem cells. The review also touched on the importance of telomerase activity in preventing cellular senescence in stem cells and suggested that further research is needed to understand the molecular function of Lgr5 and its role in stem cell biology across various tissues.
