title: Adult marrow-derived very small embryonic-like stem cells and tissue engineering.
abstract: A population of CXCR4(+) lin(-) CD45(-) cells that express SSEA, Oct-4 and Nanog has been identified in adult bone marrow. These cells are very small and display several features typical for primary embryonic stem cells such as: i) a large nuclei surrounded by a narrow rim of cytoplasm; ii) open-type chromatin (euchromatin); and iii) high telomerase activity. These cells were named very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSEL-SC). The authors hypothesized that they are direct descendants of the germ lineage. Germ lineage, in order to pass genes on to the next generation, has to create soma and thus becomes a 'mother lineage' for all somatic cell lineages present in the adult body. Germ potential is established after conception in a totipotent zygote and retained subsequently during development in blastomers of morula, cells form the inner cell mass of blastocyst, epiblast and population of primordial germ cells. The authors envision that VSEL-SC are epiblast-derived pluripotent stem cells and could potentially become a less-controversial source of stem cells for regeneration.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville, Stem Cell Institute at James Graham Brown Cancer Center, 500 South Floyd Street, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kucia
authors.forename: Ewa K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Zuba-Surma
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wysoczynski
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ratajczak
authors.forename: Boguslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Machalinski
authors.forename: Mariusz Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Ratajczak
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D002469:Cell Separation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D054278:Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000032:analysis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000032:analysis; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens