title: Deconstructing the complexity of a microenvironmental niche.
abstract: Cells acquire their fate in vivo in the context of a complex microenvironmental "niche" comprised of heterologous cell types, signaling molecules, extracellular matrix, biophysical forces, and metabolic substrates. Now Calderón and Boehm report the "refunctionalization" of a defective thymic epithelial niche, offering insights into how signaling molecules may be hierarchically organized to direct differentiation outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Daniela S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Scadden