Endothelial cell plasticity: how to become and remain a lymphatic endothelial cell.
Lineage commitment and differentiation into mature cell types are mostly considered to be unidirectional and irreversible processes. However, recent results have challenged this by showing that terminally differentiated cell types can be reprogrammed into other cell types, an important step towards devising strategies for gene therapy and tissue regeneration. In this Review, we summarize recent data on the earliest steps in the development of the mammalian lymphatic vasculature: the specification of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). We elaborate on a developmental model that integrates the different steps leading to LEC differentiation and lymphatic network formation, discuss evidence that suggests that LEC fate is plastic, and consider the potentially far-reaching implications of the ability to convert one cell type into another.
Oliver
Guillermo
G
Department of Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA. guillermo.oliver@stjude.org
Srinivasan
R Sathish
RS
D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004729:Endothelium, Lymphatic / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000166:cytology