Open AccessConcise Review: Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Tissue Stem Cells: Current Concepts and Unanswered Questions
Author(s) -
Metcalf Donald
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
stem cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.159
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1549-4918
pISSN - 1066-5099
DOI - 10.1634/stemcells.2007-0544
Subject(s) - biology , stem cell , haematopoiesis , progenitor cell , microbiology and biotechnology , lineage (genetic) , immunology , genetics , gene
The term hematopoietic stem cells has at times been used to include a miscellany of precursor cells ranging from multipotential self‐generating cells to lineage‐restricted progenitors with little capacity for self‐generation. It is probable that the stem cells of other tissues also vary widely in their multipotentiality and proliferative capacity. This review questions several dogmas regarding the self‐generative capacity of various hematopoietic cells, the single episodic origin of hematopoietic cells, and the irreversible nature of progressive mature cell formation in individual hematopoietic lineages. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.