title: Ovarian adult stem cells: hope or pitfall?
abstract: For many years, ovarian biology has been based on the dogma that oocytes reserve in female mammals included a finite number, established before or at birth and it is determined by the number and quality of primordial follicles developed during the neonatal period. The restricted supply of oocytes in adult female mammals has been disputed in recent years by supporters of postnatal neo-oogenesis. Recent experimental data showed that ovarian surface epithelium and cortical tissue from both mouse and human were proved to contain very low proportion of cells able to propagate themselves, but also to generate immature oocytes in vitro or in vivo, when transplanted into immunodeficient mice ovaries. By mentioning several landmarks of ovarian stem cell reserve and addressing the exciting perspective of translation into clinical practice as treatment for infertility pathologies, the purpose of this article is to review the knowledge about adult mammalian ovarian stem cells, a topic that, since the first approach quickly attracted the attention of both the scientific media and patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd., 050474 Bucharest, Romania ; C.I.Parhon National Institute of Endocrinology, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd., 050474 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ancuta Augustina
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gheorghisan-Galateanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd., 050474 Bucharest, Romania ; V.Babes National Institute of Pathology, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd., 050474 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Mihail Eugen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hinescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd., 050474 Bucharest, Romania ; V.Babes National Institute of Pathology, 8 Eroii Sanitari Blvd., 050474 Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Enciu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D055153:Stem Cell Niche
keywords: Adult oogenesis; Adult stem cells; Fertility; Human ovary; Oocytes; Ovarian stem cells