Stem Cells Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stem Cells, including details on research, transplants, therapy, benefits.

Bone marrow as a home of heterogenous populations of nonhematopoietic stem cells.

Kucia M, Reca R, Jala VR, Dawn B, Ratajczak J, Ratajczak MZ

Stem Cell Biology Program at James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, KY 40202, USA.

Evidence is presented that bone marrow (BM) in addition to CD45(positive) hematopoietic stem cells contains a rare population of heterogenous CD45(negative) nonhematopoietic tissue committed stem cells (TCSC). These nonhematopoietic TCSC (i) are enriched in population of CXCR4(+) CD34(+) AC133(+) lin(-) CD45(-) and CXCR4(+) Sca-1(+) lin(-) CD45(-) in humans and mice, respectively, (ii) display several markers of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) and (iii) as we envision are deposited in BM early in development. Thus, since BM contains versatile nonhematopoietic stem cells, previous studies on plasticity trans-dedifferentiation of BM-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) that did not include proper controls to exclude this possibility could lead to wrong interpretations. Therefore, in this spotlight review we present this alternative explanation of 'plasticity' of BM-derived stem cells based on the assumption that BM stem cells are heterogenous. We also discuss a potential relationship of TCSC/PSC identified by us with other BM-derived CD45(negative) nonhematopoietic stem cells that were recently identified by other investigators (eg MSC, MAPC, USSC and MIAMI cells). Finally, we discuss perspectives and pitfalls in potential application of these cells in regenerative medicine.

Published 2 August 2005 in Leukemia, 19(7): 1118-27.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Stem Cells Research Today. All Rights Reserved.