title: Adult stem cells and their trans-differentiation potential--perspectives and therapeutic applications.
abstract: Stem cells are self-renewing multipotent progenitors with the broadest developmental potential in a given tissue at a given time. Normal stem cells in the adult organism are responsible for renewal and repair of aged or damaged tissue. Adult stem cells are present in virtually all tissues and during most stages of development. In this review, we introduce the reader to the basic information about the field. We describe selected stem cell isolation techniques and stem cell markers for various stem cell populations. These include makers for endothelial progenitor cells (CD146/MCAM/MUC18/S-endo-1, CD34, CD133/prominin, Tie-2, Flk1/KD/VEGFR2), hematopoietic stem cells (CD34, CD117/c-Kit, Sca1), mesenchymal stem cells (CD146/MCAM/MUC18/S-endo-1, STRO-1, Thy-1), neural stem cells (CD133/prominin, nestin, NCAM), mammary stem cells (CD24, CD29, Sca1), and intestinal stem cells (NCAM, CD34, Thy-1, CD117/c-Kit, Flt-3). Separate section provides a concise summary of recent clinical trials involving stem cells directed towards improvement of a damaged myocardium. In the last part of the review, we reflect on the field and on future developments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hombach-Klonisch
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panigrahi
authors.forename: Iran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rashedi
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pocar
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurpisz
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schulze-Osthoff
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mackiewicz
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Los
mesh_terms: D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D044968:Regenerative Medicine