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Editor’s Pick 2021: Highlights in Stem Cell Research

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Editorial25 March 2022
Editorial: Editor’s Pick 2021: Highlights in Stem Cell Research
Valerie Kouskoffand Atsushi Asakura

2 Authors

Current knowledge of stem cell biology, as well as various cell culture technologies that have been established in recent years, supports the field of developmental biology and regenerative 32 medicine (Ikeya et al., 2021a, b). Stem cells include embryonic stem cells (Martin, 1981; 33 Thomson et al., 1998) with pluripotent differentiation ability retained by fertilized eggs, and 34 induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells (Takahashi et al., 2007;Takahashi and Yamanaka, 2006), 35 which have been developed by cell culture and molecular biological technologies. In addition, 36 mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow are known as multipotent adult 37 stem cells (Gao et al., 2021), capable of differentiating into various mesenchymal cells and 38 have contributed to regenerative medicine as biological microdevices. Tissue-specific stem 39 /progenitor cells that can be isolated from various adult tissues can contribute to the specific 40 tissue types for physiological tissue maintenance and repair after damage (Prentice, 2019). The 41 use of these stem/progenitor cells has been further enhanced by genetic engineering and 42 embryological strategies (Wang et al., 2021). For example, the use of signal transduction 43 mimicking the developmental stages of tissues to induce specific cell differentiation, the 44

2,896 views

REVIEW
17 September 2020
Gastric Stem Cells: Physiological and Pathological Perspectives
Shiyu Xiaoand Liya Zhou

2 Authors

Gastric Stem Cells: Physiological and Pathological Perspectives
Gastric epithelium operates in a hazardous environment that curtails the lifespan of the constituents cells, imposing a requirement for continuous epithelial renewal. Stems cells that reside in the stomach are thus essential for regulating physiological tissue renewal and injury repair because of their self-renewal, high proliferation capacity and multiple differentiation potentials. Recent investigations using lineage tracing models have identified diverse populations of gastric stem cells and even fully differentiated cells that can regain stem cell capacity, so enriching our understanding on the identity and plasticity of gastric stem cells. These cell populations include the Villin promotor, Lgr5+, CCKR2+, Axin2+ and AQP5+ stem cells in the antrum, TFF2 mRNA, Mist1+ cells and Troy+ mature chief cells in the corpus, as well as Sox2, eR1, Lrig1, Bmi1-marked cell in both the antrum and the corpus. Establishment of gastric organoids derived from primary gastric tissues and pluripotent stem cells or embryonic stem cells characterizes niche factors required by the gastric stem cell populations, and further provides new insights into stomach development, host-Helicobacter pylori interactions and malignant transformation. Furthermore, focus on the gastric stem cells and their niches uncovers the initiation of stomach precancerous lesions and origin of gastric cancer, providing options for cancer prevention and intervention. In summary, with the development of stem cell research, gastric stem cells give us more opportunities to prevent and treat stomach diseases.

49,485 views

83 citations

REVIEW
12 November 2020
Regenerative Intestinal Stem Cells Induced by Acute and Chronic Injury: The Saving Grace of the Epithelium?
William D. Rees, 3 more and Theodore S. Steiner

5 Authors

44,937 views

79 citations

MINI REVIEW
28 January 2021
Hypoxia in Cell Reprogramming and the Epigenetic Regulations
Nariaki Nakamura, 2 more and Yong Li

4 Authors

9,912 views

40 citations

REVIEW
7 May 2021
Bone Cells Differentiation: How CFTR Mutations May Rule the Game of Stem Cells Commitment?
Claire Dumortier, 2 more and Denise Al Alam

4 Authors

6,649 views

17 citations

Exosomes From Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: The Emerging Roles and Applications in Tissue Regeneration of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
REVIEW
10 September 2020
Exosomes From Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: The Emerging Roles and Applications in Tissue Regeneration of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
Mingchen Xiong, 6 more and Min Wu

8 Authors

26,567 views

141 citations

ORIGINAL RESEARCH
31 July 2020
Triiodothyronine Potentiates BMP9-Induced Osteogenesis in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through the Activation of AMPK/p38 Signaling
Xiaoting Chen, 4 more and Yanhong Gao

6 Authors

3,291 views

12 citations

ORIGINAL RESEARCH
29 July 2020
Mediator Med23 Regulates Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis
Guo-Yan Chen, 7 more and Chang-Jun Su

9 Authors

5,371 views

14 citations

MINI REVIEW
21 July 2020
The Role of SMAD2/3 in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Jie Yangand Wei Jiang

2 Authors

15,491 views

48 citations

Patient-Specific Retinal Organoids Recapitulate Disease Features of Late-Onset Retinitis Pigmentosa
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
6 March 2020
Patient-Specific Retinal Organoids Recapitulate Disease Features of Late-Onset Retinitis Pigmentosa
Mei-Ling Gao, 5 more and Zi-Bing Jin

7 Authors

Although an increasing number of disease genes have been identified, the exact cellular mechanisms of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) remain largely unclear. Retinal organoids (ROs) derived from the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients provide a potential but unvalidated platform for deciphering disease mechanisms and an advantageous tool for preclinical testing of new treatments. Notably, early-onset RP has been extensively recapitulated by patient-iPSC-derived ROs. However, it remains a challenge to model late-onset disease in a dish due to its chronicity, complexity and instability. Here, we generated ROs from late-onset RP proband-derived iPSCs harboring a PDE6B mutation. Transcriptome analysis revealed a remarkably distinct gene expression profile in the patient ROs at differentiation day (D) 230. Changes in the expression genes regulating cGMP hydrolysis prompted the elevation of cGMP levels, which was verified by a cGMP enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patient ROs. Furthermore, significantly higher cGMP levels in patient ROs than in control ROs at D193 and D230 might lead to impaired formation of synaptic connections and the connecting cilium in photoreceptor cells. In this study, we established the first late-onset RP model with a consistent phenotype using an in vitro cell culture system and provided new insights into the PDE6B-related mechanism of RP.

14,327 views

97 citations

MINI REVIEW
26 June 2020
Fgf10/Fgfr2b Signaling in Mammary Gland Development, Homeostasis, and Cancer
Stefano Rivetti, 2 more and Saverio Bellusci

4 Authors

7,113 views

28 citations

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Beyond Regenerative Medicine
REVIEW
18 February 2020
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Beyond Regenerative Medicine
Riam Shammaa, 2 more and Moutih Rafei

4 Authors

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are competent suitors of cellular therapy due to their therapeutic impact on tissue degeneration and immune-based pathologies. Additionally, their homing and immunomodulatory properties can be exploited in cancer malignancies to transport pharmacological entities, produce anti-neoplastic agents, or induce anti-tumor immunity. Herein, we create a portfolio for MSC properties, showcasing their distinct multiple therapeutic utilities and successes/challenges thereof in both animal studies and clinical trials. We further highlight the promising potential of MSCs not only in cancer management but also in instigating tumor-specific immunity - i.e. cancer vaccination. Finally, we reflect on the possible reasons impeding the clinical advancement of MSC-based cancer vaccines to assist in contriving novel methodologies from which a therapeutic milestone might emanate.

12,941 views

87 citations

ORIGINAL RESEARCH
17 January 2020
Retinoic Acid Induces Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) Transition to 2 Cell-Like State Through a Coordinated Expression of Dux and Duxbl1
Daniela Tagliaferri, 13 more and Geppino Falco

15 Authors

12,150 views

32 citations