Abstract

SALDIVAR-SANTOYO, H. Jannet; FLORES-GUZMAN, Patricia; MAYANI, Héctor  and  FLORES FIGUEROA, Eugenia. The niche of stem cells: the secrets of their "zip code". Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2013, vol.56, n.3, pp.47-59. ISSN 2448-4865.

Stem cells can be considered the new celebrities in biology and medicine, reaching areas that had been unexplored by biological knowledge. Religious leaders, presidents and artists have spoken and debated about them. Like any celebrity, they are rare and hard to find anywhere else other than news headlines. Self-renewal and their vast proliferation and differentiation potentials are among some characteristics that place them in the crosshairs of both basic and translational research. Stem cells are found in very specific areas within tissues, known as niches. Stem Cell niches provide the necessary conditions to regulate their physiology, preserving their "sternness" and controlling their proliferation and differentiation. Elucidating their "zip code" will lead us to know and manipulate their regulatory mechanisms. The stem cell niche is emerging as a new therapeutic target. We will discuss the hematopoietic stem cell niche and the clinical application of this knowledge.

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