Mesenchymal stem cells: harnessing cell plasticity to tissue and organ repair
Plastic behavior of cells is a hallmark of embryonic development. The emergence of primary mesenchyme from within the inner cell mass entails the first epithelial–mesenchymal transition step that is then followed by sequential transitions; the formation of new tissues and organs requires transitions from mesenchyme into epithelium and vice versa. Although it is currently believed that in the adult such transitions do not persist, the frequent occurrence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in various tissues of the adult organisms, and the reported plasticity of such adult mesenchymal cells, raises the question as to whether the frequency of mesenchymal epithelial transitions in the adult have been underestimated. Indeed, adult mesenchymal stem cells have been reported to differentiate in culture into a multitude of mature cell types including epithelial cells. Gain the latest research updates on Stem cells & Regenerative medicine by taking part at the upcoming “ 11 th Annua...