Open AccessStem Cells & Regenerative Medicine - From molecular embryology to tissue engineering
Author(s) -
Carlo Alberto Redi
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
european journal of histochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.754
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 2038-8306
pISSN - 1121-760X
DOI - 10.4081/ejh.2011.br8
Subject(s) - reprogramming , epigenome , regenerative medicine , epigenetics , biology , regeneration (biology) , stem cell , tissue engineering , microbiology and biotechnology , embryonic stem cell , neuroscience , cell , dna methylation , genetics , gene expression , gene
Maria J. Barrero and Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte sign a very interesting paper on EMBO reports (Regenerating the epigenome, EMBO reports 12:208-215, 2011) where they point out that Organisms have evolved two strategies by which to achieve this: the maintenance of adult stem cells and the induction of stemcell properties in differentiated cells. In both cases, cells must undergo extensive epigenetic reprogramming to attain the specialized functions of the new tissue. Ultimately, the regenerative capacity of a tissue might depend on the plasticity of the cellular epigenome, which determines the ability of the cell to respond to injuryrelated signals. Understanding this epigenetic plasticity will allow the development of strategies to stimulate the regeneration of damaged tissues and organs in humans..