Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andy Chan, Sophia Ma, Bret J. Pearson, Danny Chan
Summary: The extracellular matrix plays a crucial role in the maintenance, regeneration, and differentiation of stem cells within their niche. By studying the collagen gene family in the freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, researchers have identified a key gene, col4-1, which influences the proliferation of neoblasts. Furthermore, evidence suggests that an interaction between type IV collagen, the discoidin domain receptor, and neuregulin-7 regulate the balance of symmetric and asymmetric division of neoblasts through the NRG-7/EGFR pathway.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Cornelia Lee-Thedieck, Peter Schertl, Gerd Klein
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niches and highlights its importance in regulating cellular function and niche structure. The role of different classes of ECM molecules and their interactions with cells are discussed, along with the significance of matrix remodeling and biophysics in HSC niche function. The review also examines the application of current knowledge of ECM in artificial HSC niches for HSC expansion, targeted differentiation, and drug testing.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Christopher M. Madl, Iris A. Flaig, Colin A. Holbrook, Yu Xin Wang, Helen M. Blau
Summary: MuSC responses are influenced by mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix, with soft hydrogels promoting activation and expansion, while stiff hydrogels impair proliferation and myogenic progression. Soluble factors like prostaglandin E2 and oncostatin M also play a role in influencing stem cell behavior on different substrates.
Review
Cell Biology
Svenja C. Schuler, Yuguo Liu, Simon Dumontier, Michel Grandbois, Emmeran Le Moal, Ddw Cornelison, C. Florian Bentzinger
Summary: The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a structural scaffold that supports tissue structure and regulates cell behavior. In skeletal muscle, the ECM consists of a basal lamina and interstitial ECM, which play key roles in maintaining muscle health and promoting regeneration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Hematology
Laura R. Goldberg
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a critical role in modulating hematopoiesis within the bone marrow microenvironment and may be key mediators of HSC aging. Studies have shown their involvement in numerous age-related biologic processes and diseases, influencing both normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
ARTERIOSCLEROSIS THROMBOSIS AND VASCULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Pei-Chin Chen, Yung-Che Kuo, Cheng-Ming Chuong, Yen-Hua Huang
Summary: Stem cells interact harmoniously with their niches during development and tumor pathology, influencing cell fate. The modulation of IGF-1R signaling plays a crucial role in determining cell fate.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Colin Valet, Melia Magnen, Longhui Qiu, Simon J. Cleary, Kristin M. Wang, Serena Ranucci, Elodie Grockowiak, Rafik Boudra, Catharina Conrad, Yurim Seo, Daniel R. Calabrese, John R. Greenland, Andrew D. Leavitt, Emmanuelle Passegue, Simon Mendez-Ferrer, Filip K. Swirski, Mark R. Looney
Summary: This study found that the spleen is the major site of platelet production during sepsis, and IL-3 can induce differentiation of megakaryocytes into immunomodulatory platelets. Transfusions of these platelets can enhance immune responses and reduce mortality in sepsis-challenged animals.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Abdelrahman M. Elhusseiny, Mohammad Soleimani, Taher K. Eleiwa, Reem H. ElSheikh, Charles R. Frank, Morteza Naderan, Ghasem Yazdanpanah, Mark Rosenblatt, Ali R. Djalilian
Summary: The regeneration of corneal epithelium relies on limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) residing in the limbus, which are regulated by the limbal niche. Disruption to LESCs or their niche can lead to limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), impacting corneal and visual function.
STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
JamesD Melrose
Summary: This study aimed to explore the recent developments in neural repair by using hyaluronan as a carrier of olfactory bulb stem cells and new bioscaffolds. Hyaluronan interacts with hyalectan proteoglycans in the brain to protect neurons and promote synaptic plasticity. Special stem cell niches called fractones migrate to the olfactory bulb from the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and these niches contain hyaluronan, perlecan, and laminin alpha 5, which regulate the activity of stem cells and aid in their participation in neural repair processes. Significant improvement in spinal cord injury and brain trauma repair has been achieved using this approach, and further advancements are expected with the use of recombinant perlecan domain I and domain V.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarah Y. T. Robertson, JoAnn S. Roberts, Sophie X. Deng
Summary: Limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LSCs) reside in a niche with finely tuned balances of various signaling pathways, and respond to molecular signals as well as physical structure. Damage to LSCs or their niche leads to limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), and understanding the molecular regulation of LSCs is crucial for treating LSCD effectively.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Parimala Sonika Godavarthy, Christina B. Walter, Claudia Lengerke, Gerd Klein
Summary: Laminin receptors, specifically integrin alpha 7 beta 1 and BCAM/Lu, play crucial roles in both proliferation and homing of HSPC. While BCAM/Lu does not affect the adhesive interaction of HSPC with specific laminins, it does influence cell differentiation and migration processes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhe Chen, Qian Guo, Guanbin Song, Yu Hou
Summary: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) remain dormant in a cell-cycle quiescence state to maintain their self-renewal capacity and play a crucial role in hematopoietic system homeostasis. Dysregulation of quiescence can lead to HSC dysfunction and result in abnormal hematopoiesis and leukemia transformation. Intrinsic molecular networks and extrinsic signals regulate HSC quiescence, and cell metabolism drives the transition between quiescence and activation of HSCs. Investigating the complex regulatory networks of HSC quiescence expands our understanding of blood cell formation and has clinical implications.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Na Yuan, Wen Wei, Li Ji, Jiawei Qian, Zhicong Jin, Hong Liu, Li Xu, Lei Li, Chen Zhao, Xueqin Gao, Yulong He, Mingyuan Wang, Longhai Tang, Yixuan Fang, Jianrong Wang
Summary: The bone marrow niche, responsible for maintaining hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis, declines in function with aging and hematological malignancies. This study reveals that disrupting autophagy in HSCs accelerates niche aging, while transplantation of young donor HSCs repairs the niche environment. Further investigation shows that HSCs transdifferentiate into functional niche cells, including mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial cells, in an autophagy-dependent manner. These findings provide a clinical solution to rejuvenate an aged or damaged bone marrow hematopoietic niche.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pascal Fichtel, Malte von Bonin, Robert Kuhnert, Kristin Moebus, Martin Bornhaeuser, Manja Wobus
Summary: Aging of the hematopoietic system is characterized by an expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) with reduced capacity for engraftment, self-renewal, and lymphoid differentiation, resulting in myeloid-biased hematopoiesis.
The communication between HSPCs and MSCs is mediated by direct cell-cell contacts or extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry bioactive substances. Aging MSCs secrete fewer miRNAs, but aged MSC-EVs contain higher levels of specific miRNAs such as miR-29a and miR-34a. Young EVs enhance the cell number and viability of HSPCs, while aged MSC-EVs promote the differentiation of HSPCs into erythroid and erythroid-megakaryocytic progenitor cells. The therapeutic relevance of MSC-derived EVs in modulating HSPC characteristics needs further investigation.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ophthalmology
Ursula Schloetzer-Schrehardt, Lorenz Latta, Andreas Giessl, Matthias Zenkel, Fabian N. Fries, Barbara Kaesmann-Kellner, Friedrich E. Kruse, Berthold Seitz
Summary: The study investigated the morphologic and molecular alterations of the limbal epithelial stem cell niche in human congenital aniridia, revealing marked changes in the structure and composition of the limbal region, which may be the cause of aniridia-associated keratopathy.