Research shows when stem cell descendants lose their versatility

(PhysOrg.com) -- Stem cells are the incomparably versatile progenitors of every cell in our body. Some maintain this remarkable plasticity throughout the life of an animal, prepared to respond as needed to repair an injury, for instance. Others differentiate into specialized cells, regenerating tissue or facilitating some other process before dying. Now new research from Rockefeller University defines the point at which hair follicle stem cells abandon their trademark versatility, or “stemness,” having left their niche to make new hairs. It also shows how these fated stem cell descendants then regulate the activity of their forebears.

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