title: Osteogenic and Neurogenic Stem Cells in Their Own Place: Unraveling Differences and Similarities Between Niches.
abstract: Although therapeutic use of stem cells (SCs) is already available in some tissues (cornea, blood, and skin), in most organs we are far from reaching the translational goal of regenerative medicine. In the nervous system, due to intrinsic features which make it refractory to regeneration/repair, it is very hard to obtain functionally integrated regenerative outcomes, even starting from its own SCs (the neural stem cells; NSCs). Besides NSCs, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have also been proposed for therapeutic purposes in neurological diseases. Yet, direct (regenerative) and indirect (bystander) effects are often confused, as are MSCs and bone marrow-derived (stromal, osteogenic) stem cells (BMSCs), whose plasticity is actually overestimated (i.e., trans-differentiation along non-mesodermal lineages, including neural fates). In order to better understand failure in the "regenerative" use of SCs for neurological disorders, it could be helpful to understand how NSCs and BMSCs have adapted to their respective organ niches. In this perspective, here the adult osteogenic and neurogenic niches are considered and compared within their in vivo environment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy ; Latium Musculoskeletal Tissue Bank , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lattanzi
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO) , Orbassano , Italy ; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parolisi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barba
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO) , Orbassano , Italy ; Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin , Turin , Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonfanti
keywords: adult neurogenesis; brain repair; mesenchymal stem cells; neural stem cells; neurodegenerative diseases; osteogenesis