Nails are another source of stem cells

Nail stem cells can become universal for reconstructive medicine

Copper newsA group of scientists from the University of Southern California has discovered a new population of stem cells around the nail plate that are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into different types of cells.

The research results are presented in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Leung et al., Bifunctional ectodermal stem cells around the nail display dual fate homeostasis and adaptive wounding response towards nail regeneration).

These tissue-specific progenitor cells were discovered during studies using a complex system of attachment of fluorescent proteins and other signaling molecules to mouse nail cells. Many of these cells were divided repeatedly, which was expressed in a gradual decrease in the intensity of fluorescence. However, some cells located in the soft tissues at the base of the nails retained the same fluorescence intensity.

Stem cells (green) in the mouse nail.

These slowly dividing stem cells play a dual role: under normal conditions, they promote the growth of nails and adjacent tissues, and when the nail plate is damaged, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) gives the stem cell a signal to switch exclusively to the restoration of the nail.

"This is an amazing discovery, since the ability of this population of nail stem cells to produce both nail and skin differs from the ability of other stem cells, for example, those found in hair follicles or sweat glands," the authors noted in their article (actually not in the article, but in the press releasethe USC Stem Cell Nail stem cells release prove more versatile than press ons – VM).

Now scientists plan to find out whether external signals can cause this population of stem cells to produce other types of tissues, for example, bone and skin cells.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru25.11.2014