Stem cells identification

Newer strategies for stem cell identification have been developed based on the knowledge of cell functions. A primitive and multipotential subpopulation of bone marrow mononuclear cells has been identified on the basis of the intracellular presence of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Those cells can be marked on the basis of the presence of ALDH and are called aldehyde dehydrogenase-bright cells (ALDH cells), allowing for their separation from a bone marrow aspiration mononuclear subpopulation under fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis. 

Leene, W., Duyzings, M. J. M. and VonSteeg, C. (1973). Lymphoid stem cell identification in the developing thymus and bursa of Fabricius of the chick. Z. Zellforsh 136, 521-533. 

Forrester, L. M., Nagy, A., Sam, M., Watt, A., Stevenson, L., Bernstein, A., et al. (1996) An induction gene trap screen in embryonic stem cells Identification of genes that respond to retinoic acid in vitro. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 1677-1682. 

Rempel SA, Dudas S, Ge S, Gutierrez JA (2000) Identification and localization of the cytokine SDFl and its receptor, CXC chemokine receptor 4, to regions of necrosis and angiogenesis in human glioblastoma. Chn Cancer Res 6 102-111 Reya T, Morrison SJ, Clarke ME, Weissman IL (2001) Stem cells, cancer, and cancer stem cells. Nature 414 105-111... 

Graham GJ, Wright EG, Hewick R, et al. Identification and characterization of an inhibitor of haemopoietic stem cell proliferation. Nature 1990 344(6265) 442-444. 

Miyazato, A., et al., "Identification of Myelodysplastic Syndrome-Specific Genes by DNA Microarray Analysis with Purified Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fraction," Blood, 98, 422-427 (2001). 

In conclusion the present report confirms the significant impact of y-retroviral vector insertion sites on the establishment of clonal dominance in hematopoiesis after (serial) bone marrow transplantation. The identification of a number of putative sternness genes may contribute not only to a better understanding of stem cell biology but, in the long run also to the development of novel approaches for stem cell based therapeutic regimens, e.g. in regenerative medicine. 

Zijlmans JM, Visser JW, Kleiverda K, Kluin PM, Willemze R, Fibbe WE. Modification of rhodamine staining allows identification of hematopoietic stem cells with preferential shortterm or long-term bone marrow-repopulating ability. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1995 92 8901-8905. 

Qu-Petersen Z, Deasy BM, Jankowski R, Ikezawa M, Cummins J, Pruchnic R, Cao B, M 4inger J, Gates C, Wernig A and Huard J (2002). Identification of a novel population of muscle stem cells in mice potential for muscle regeneration. J Cell Biol 157 851-864. 

Somervaille, T. and Cleary, M. (2006) Identification and characterization of leukemia stem cells in murine MLL-AF9 acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Cell 10, 257-268. 

Further evidence for a dynamic cardiac renewal process in the adult heart comes from the recent identification of a novel population of early tissue-committed stem cells that may be part of a group of circulating progenitor cells involved in cardiac repair [40]. 

While laser capture microdissection and other related techniques may allow for the generation of relatively homogenous cell populations, most such purification steps will largely eliminate any potential cancer stem cells, because these techniques necessitate the identification of differentiated cell types for isolation. As such, cancer stem cells would frequently be eliminated from analysis, and any cancer stem cells that may be accidentally included in the analysis would be in such low occurrence that their signature would most certainly be missed. 

Colter, D. C., Sekiya, I., and Prockop, D. J. (2001), Identification of a subpopulation of rapidly self-renewing and multipotential adult stem cells in colonies of human marrow stromal cells, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 98(14), 7841-7845. 

Johansson, C.B., Momma, S., Clarke, D.L., Risling, M., Lendahl, U., Frisen, J. (1999). Identification of a neural stem cell in the adult mammalian central nervous system. Cell,... 

Laywell, E.D., Rakic, P., Kukekov, V.G., Holland, E.C., Steindler, D.A. (2000). Identification of a multipotent astrocytic stem cell in the immature and adult mouse brain. Proc Natl AcadSci, USA 97, 13883-8. 

Identification of nestin as a marker for neural progenitor and stem cells (Lendahl et al., 1990)... 

The recognition that cells such as neurons and muscle or cardiac cells, which were previously considered incapable of proliferating in old age, retain the potential for plasticity and regeneration has opened the way to the study of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may facilitate tissue repair in neurodegenerative diseases of old age. Likewise, the identification of pluripotent cells, such as stem cells, that are potentially capable of acquiring the structure and function of a variety of specialized cells promises to let us effectively replace lost tissues and functions. 

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