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Rooting the Stems
05 February 2016

Rooting the Stems

Stem cells are the 'mothers' that give rise to all the different cell types in our body, during development and throughout adult life. Despite growing knowledge of their function and behaviour, how stem cells themselves originate remains unclear. To address this question, researchers studied the hair follicles of mice, pictured above (in blue) at different stages of development, from simple clusters of cells, or placodes, to mature hair buds. Stem cell activity is typically maintained by signals from a group of nearby cells, known as the niche. Yet a different mechanism operates in hair buds, independently from a niche: when a placode cell divides, an asymmetrical distribution of certain molecules between daughter cells causes one to become a stem cell. The molecules involved, Wnt and SHH, are also implicated in skin cancers, so understanding their role in triggering stem cell activity is crucial.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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