Ratajczak et al. abstract
Citation: Cellular Therapy and Transplantation, Vol. 1, No. 2, 27 November 2008
A unique population of mobile very small embryonic/epiblast like (VSEL) stem cells resides in adult tissues: physiological and pathological consequences
Mariusz Z Ratajczak, Magda Kucia, Dong-Myung Shin, Liu Rui, Justyna Drukala, Wojtek Marlicz, Janina Ratajczak, Ewa K Zuba-Surma
Abstract
Accumulating evidence demonstrates that adult tissue contains a population of very primitive pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). Recently, our group identified a population of very small SCs in murine bone marrow (BM) and other adult organs that express several markers characteristic for epiblast/germ line-derived SCs. We named these rare cells “very small embryonic like stem cells (VSELs).” We hypothesized that these cells, which are deposited during early gastrulation in developing tissues/organs, play an important role in the turnover of tissue-specific/committed SCs. Based on this, we envision that germ line is not only the origin but also a “basis/skeleton” for the SC compartment in adult life forms. We noticed that VSELs could be mobilized into peripheral blood (PB) and the number of these cells circulating in PB increases during stress and tissue/organ injuries (e.g., heart infarct, stroke). Furthermore, our data indicates that VSELs are protected from uncontrolled proliferation and teratoma formation by a unique pattern of methylation of selected somatic imprinted genes. Finally, we envision that in pathological situations, VSELs could be involved in the development of some malignancies (e.g., teratomas, germinal tumors, pediatric sarcomas).
Keywords: VSEL, CXCR4, Oct-4, Nanog, SSEA
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