Stem Cells

Dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9) is a ubiquitously expressed intracellular prolyl peptidase implicated in immunoregulation. However, its physiological relevance in the immune system remains largely unknown.

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of early and limited exposure of perivascular cells expressing α (αSMA) to fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in vivo. We performed in vivo fate mapping by inducible Cre-loxP and experimental pulp injury in molars to induce reparative dentinogenesis.

Abstract

STUDY QUESTION:

Is human endometrial leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) gene expression limited to the postulated epithelial stem cell niche, stratum basalis glands, and is it hormonally regulated?

SUMMARY ANSWER:

LGR5 expressing cells are not limited to the postulated stem cell niche but LGR5 expression is hormonally regulated.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY:

Circulating systemic factors can regulate adult neural stem cell (NSC) biology, but the identity of these circulating cues is still being defined. Here, we have focused on the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), since increased circulating levels of IL-6 are associated with neural pathologies such as autism and bipolar disorder. We show that IL-6 promotes proliferation of post-natal murine forebrain NSCs and that, when the IL-6 receptor is inducibly knocked out in post-natal or adult neural precursors, this causes a long-term decrease in forebrain NSCs.

Colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) controls the growth and differentiation of macrophages.CSF1R signaling has been implicated in the maintenance of the 

During development, Sox2 is indispensable for cell division and differentiation, yet its roles in regenerating tissues are less clear. Here, we used combinations of transgenic mouse models to reveal that Sox2 haploinsufficiency (Sox2haplo) increases rather than impairs cochlear regeneration in vivo. Sox2haplo cochleae had delayed terminal mitosis and ectopic sensory cells, yet normal auditory function.

Many epithelial stem cell populations follow a pattern of stochastic stem cell divisions called 'neutral drift'. It is hypothesised that neutral competition between stem cells protects against the acquisition of deleterious mutations. Here we use a Porcupine inhibitor to reduce Wnt secretion at a dose where intestinal homoeostasis is maintained despite a reduction of Lgr5+ stem cells.

Use of hepatocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (i-Heps) is limited by their functional differences in comparison with primary cells. Extracellular niche factors likely play a critical role in bridging this gap. Using image-based characterization (high content analysis; HCA) of freshly isolated hepatocytes from 17 human donors, we devised and validated an algorithm (Hepatocyte Likeness Index; HLI) for comparing the hepatic properties of cells against a physiological gold standard.

Mouse heart development arises from Mesp1 expressing cardiovascular progenitors (CPs) that are specified during gastrulation. The molecular processes that control early regional and lineage segregation of CPs have been unclear.

The mechanisms instructing genesis of neuronal subtypes from mammalian neural precursors are not well understood. To address this issue, we have characterized the transcriptional landscape of radial glial precursors (RPs) in the embryonic murine cortex. We show that individual RPs express mRNA, but not protein, for transcriptional specifiers of both deep and superficial layer cortical neurons.