title: Presence of cartilage stem/progenitor cells in adult mice auricular perichondrium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Based on evidence from several other tissues, cartilage stem/progenitor cells in the auricular cartilage presumably contribute to tissue development or homeostasis of the auricle. However, no definitive studies have identified or characterized a stem/progenitor population in mice auricle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) label-retaining technique was used to label dividing cells in fetal mice. Observations one year following the labeling revealed that label-retaining cells (LRCs) were present specifically in auricular perichondrium at a rate of 0.08±0.06%, but LRCs were not present in chondrium. Furthermore, LRCs were successfully isolated and cultivated from auricular cartilage. Immunocytochemical analyses showed that LRCs express CD44 and integrin-α(5). These LRCs, putative stem/progenitor cells, possess clonogenicity and chondrogenic capability in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have identified a population of putative cartilage stem/progenitor cells in the auricular perichondrium of mice. Further characterization and utilization of the cell population should improve our understanding of basic cartilage biology and lead to advances in cartilage tissue engineering and novel therapeutic strategies for patients with craniofacial defects, including long-term tissue restoration.
authors: Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Takanori
authors: T
authors: Takebe
authors: Yun-Wen
authors: YW
authors: Zheng
authors: Mitsuru
authors: M
authors: Mizuno
authors: Yuichiro
authors: Y
authors: Yabuki
authors: Jiro
authors: J
authors: Maegawa
authors: Hideki
authors: H
authors: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D039482:Integrin alpha5 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D039482:Integrin alpha5