Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; physiology ; Stem Cells ; metabolism ; physiology

Many tissues and organ systems have intrinsic regeneration capabilities that are largely driven and maintained by tissue-resident stem cell populations. In recent years, growing evidence has demonstrated that cellular metabolic homeostasis plays a central role in mediating stem cell fate, tissue regeneration, and homeostasis. Thus, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that regulate metabolic homeostasis in stem cells may contribute to our knowledge on how tissue homeostasis is maintained and provide novel insights for disease management. In this review, we summarize the known relationship between the regulation of metabolic homeostasis and molecular pathways in stem cells. We also discuss potential targets of metabolic homeostasis in disease therapy and describe the current limitations and future directions in the development of these novel therapeutic targets.
Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Homeostasis/physiology* ; Cell Differentiation/physiology*

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an important mean for clinical treatment to many of hematological diseases, malignant diseases, hereditary diseases and autoimmune diseases. Whether the implanted hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) can home to bone marrow (BM) smoothly and reconstitute the hematopoiesis is the key to successful HSCT. With the cognition of HSC homing mechanism, the visual observation of HSC homing to BM is attracting more and more attention and helps to clarify the micro-dialogue between HSC and BM microenvironment. In recent years, with the development of imaging technology, confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and two-photon microscope are able to make 3D reconstruction and real-time observation of the tissue or cells. Researches on HSC homing process visibly become reality. In this article the methods of visual research and their application in HSC homing observation are reviewed.
Cell Movement ; Hematopoiesis ; physiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; Humans ; Stem Cell Niche ; physiology

ObjectiveSince the advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology a decade ago, enormous progress has been made in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Human iPSCs have been widely used for disease modeling, drug discovery, and cell therapy development. In this review, we discuss the progress in applications of iPSC technology that are particularly relevant to drug discovery and regenerative medicine, and consider the remaining challenges and the emerging opportunities in the field.

Data SourcesArticles in this review were searched from PubMed database from January 2014 to December 2017.

Study SelectionOriginal articles about iPSCs and cardiovascular diseases were included and analyzed.

ResultsiPSC holds great promises for human disease modeling, drug discovery, and stem cell-based therapy, and this potential is only beginning to be realized. However, several important issues remain to be addressed.

ConclusionsThe recent availability of human cardiomyocytes derived from iPSCs opens new opportunities to build in vitro models of cardiac disease, screening for new drugs and patient-specific cardiac therapy.

During mammalian development, migration, proliferation and survival of primordial germ cells can give rise to germ stem cells. There are evidences that stem cells also exist in adult gonad, and can maintain the renewal of germ cells and decelerate aging process. Therefore, germ stem cells play a pivotal role in rejuvenation of adult tissues as well as regeneration of damaged organs. Such cells have provided a potential resource for stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Germ Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; Humans ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; physiology

As the progenitor of most cell components in the hematopoietic microenvironment, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) exhibit self-renewal and multilineage differentiation capacity. Through direct interaction with hematopoietic cells, secreting extracellular matrix and factors, MSC maintain the integrity of hematopoietic microenvironment and regulate hematopoiesis accurately. This review summarized the function of MSC in hematopoietic regulation, such as secretion of cytokines supporting hematopoiesis, MSC expression and adhesion molecules interacting with hematopoietic cells, and supportive effects of transplantation combining MSC with HSC on hematopoietic reconstruction, and its clinical perspectives.
Cell Communication ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Hematopoiesis ; physiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; physiology ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; physiology

Melanoblasts, the precursors to melanocytes, originate in the neural crest. Some melanoblasts can travel to the hair follicle and further differentiate into pigment melanin-producing melanocytes. Hair follicles contain a pool of undifferentiated melanocyte stem cells (MSCs), which are sources of differentiated melanocytes, and functional melanocytes exhist in the hair bulb. The volume, life, and activity of melanocytes in a hair follicle is closely related with the growth cycle of follicle. Appearance of gray hair gray results from incomplete MSCs maintenance.
Aging ; physiology ; Cell Differentiation ; Hair Follicle ; cytology ; physiology ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; physiology ; Stem Cells ; physiology

Hematopoietic development is characterized by the dynamic generation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells during embryogenesis, and afterward, the maintaining of hematopoietic homeostasis in adult. Mouse model has been appreciated valuable for dissecting the regulatory mechanisms of hematopoietic development. As an important cytokine playing pivotal and versatile roles in the regulation of hematopoiesis, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) attracts more and more attention. In particular, gene targeting by homologous recombination provides a key means for systematic evaluation of how TGF-beta signaling is involved in hematopoiesis under physiological conditions. To further illustrate the functions and possible mechanisms of TGF-beta in hematopoietic development, hematopoietic phenotypes of targeted mutations and/or dominant negative transgenes of molecules within the TGF-beta signaling pathway are categorized and discussed in this review.
Animals ; Hematopoiesis ; physiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; physiology ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; physiology

Stem cells are a kind of specialized cell type with the ability of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation potential. They can proliferate and differentiate into many other cell types under a specific condition. However, proliferation and differentiation behaviors of stem cells depend on their located microenvironment, which is also named stem cell niche. An appropriate spatiotemporal dialog occurs between stem cells and niche to fulfill the balance of their self-renewal and differentiation. This review focused on several different stem cell niches and their relationship with proliferation and differentiation of stem cells.
Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Stem Cell Niche ; physiology ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; physiology

Bone marrow macrophage is an important component of bone marrow microenvironment, which is closely related to hematopoietic regulation and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT). Recent studies have shown that bone marrow macrophage is an important part of hematopoietic stem cell niche, which can help regulate the mobilization and function of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. After HSCT, the microenvironment of bone marrow is damaged and a large number of macrophages infiltrate into the bone marrow. Regulating the macrophage-related signal pathways can promote the recovery of hematopoiesis and the reconstruction of hematopoietic function. Co-culture of macrophages and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in vitro significantly increased the number of HSCs and their ability of clone formation, which suggests that macrophages play an important role in the regulation of hematopoiesis in the hematopoietic microenvironment of bone marrow. This paper reviews the recent research progress on the role of macrophages in bone marrow hematopoietic microenvironment.
Humans ; Bone Marrow/metabolism* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/physiology* ; Hematopoiesis/physiology* ; Stem Cell Niche ; Macrophages/metabolism*