title: Role of adrenomedullin in the growth and differentiation of stem and progenitor cells.
abstract: Stem cells have captured the imagination of the general public by their potential as new therapeutic tools in the fight against degenerative diseases. This potential is based on their capability for self-renewal and at the same time for producing progenitor cells that will eventually provide the building blocks for tissue and organ regeneration. These processes are carefully orchestrated in the organism by means of a series of molecular cues. An emerging molecule which is responsible for some of these physiological responses is adrenomedullin, a 52-amino acid regulatory peptide which increases proliferation and regulates cell fate of stem cells of different origins. Adrenomedullin binds to specific membrane receptors in stem cells and induces several intracellular pathways such as those involving cAMP, Akt, or MAPK. Regulation of adrenomedullin levels may help in directing the growth and differentiation of stem cells for applications (e.g., cell therapy) both in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Area, Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), Logroño, Spain.
authors.forename: Ignacio M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Larrayoz
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Callejero
authors.forename: Josune
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Sanmartín
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicario-Abejón
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053607:Adrenomedullin