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Trafficking and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Author(s) -
Liu ZhaoJun,
Zhuge Ying,
Velazquez Omaida C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.22091
Subject(s) - mesenchymal stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell transplantation for articular cartilage repair , biology , clinical uses of mesenchymal stem cells , progenitor cell , stem cell , bone marrow , regenerative medicine , adult stem cell , regeneration (biology) , cellular differentiation , population , immunology , medicine , genetics , environmental health , gene
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of stem/progenitor cells with pluripotent capacity to differentiate into mesodermal and non‐mesodermal cell lineages, including osteocytes, adipocytes, chondrocytes, myocytes, cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, epithelial cells, and neurons. MSCs reside primarily in the bone marrow, but also exist in other sites such as adipose tissue, peripheral blood, cord blood, liver, and fetal tissues. When stimulated by specific signals, these cells can be released from their niche in the bone marrow into circulation and recruited to the target tissues where they undergo in situ differentiation and contribute to tissue regeneration and homeostasis. Several characteristics of MSCs, such as the potential to differentiate into multiple lineages and the ability to be expanded ex vivo while retaining their original lineage differentiation commitment, make these cells very interesting targets for potential therapeutic use in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. The feasibility for transplantation of primary or engineered MSCs as cell‐based therapy has been demonstrated. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the signals that control trafficking and differentiation of MSCs. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 984–991, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.