The life story of stem cells
Stem cells ensure the regeneration and maintenance of the body's tissues. Diseases like cancer can arise if they spiral out of control. In collaboration with doctors from Aachen University Hospital, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön have designed a mathematical model for mapping the development of populations of haematopoietic, i.e. blood-forming, stem cells with advancing age. The model uses the telomeres on the chromosomes of blood cells to do this. These protective covers, which are located at the ends of the chromosomes, shrink each time a cell divides. Thus, it is possible to tell how many times a cell has already divided from its length. Deviations from normal age-related length distribution could be indicative of disease.