Skeletal Stem Cells: Origins, Definitions, and Functions in Bone Development and Disease

Overview

Journal Life Med

Date 2023 Feb 22

PMID 36811112

Authors

Heng Feng

Bo Jiang

Wenhui Xing

Jun Sun

Matthew B Greenblatt

Weiguo Zou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Skeletal stem cells (SSCs) are tissue-specific stem cells that can self-renew and sit at the apex of their differentiation hierarchy, giving rise to mature skeletal cell types required for bone growth, maintenance, and repair. Dysfunction in SSCs is caused by stress conditions like ageing and inflammation and is emerging as a contributor to skeletal pathology, such as the pathogenesis of fracture nonunion. Recent lineage tracing experiments have shown that SSCs exist in the bone marrow, periosteum, and resting zone of the growth plate. Unraveling their regulatory networks is crucial for understanding skeletal diseases and developing therapeutic strategies. In this review, we systematically introduce the definition, location, stem cell niches, regulatory signaling pathways, and clinical applications of SSCs.

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