The new stem cell biology: something for everyone
Open accessAbstract
The ability of multipotential adult stem cells to cross lineage boundaries (transdifferentiate) is currently causing heated debate in the scientific press. The proponents see adult stem cells as an attractive alternative to the use of embryonic stem cells in regenerative medicine (the treatment of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, etc). However, opponents have questioned the very existence of the process, claiming that cell fusion is responsible for the phenomenon. This review sets out to provide a critical evaluation of the current literature in the adult stem cell field.
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HSPCs can develop into cells of all three embryonic lineages.
“HSPCs can develop into cells of all three embryonic lineages [56].”
From Mechanisms, efficacy, and future perspectives of cellular-based therapies for liver fibrosis/cirrhosis: focusing on mesenchymal stromal cells (2025) · cites this paper as [56]
Cites
Nowell, P. C. (1976) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.959840 · Cited by 6,471 · see citing works
Changing potency by spontaneous fusion
Ying, Q.-L., Nichols, J., Evans, E. P., & Smith, A. G. (2002) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature729 · Cited by 1,494 · see citing works
The purification and characterization of fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells
Morrison, S. J., Hemmati, H. D., Wandycz, A. M., & Weissman, I. L. (1995) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.92.22.10302 · Cited by 611 · see citing works
Suzuki, A., Zheng, Y.-W., Kaneko, S., Onodera, M., Fukao, K., Nakauchi, H., & Taniguchi, H. (2002) · The Journal of Cell Biology · doi:10.1083/jcb.200108066 · Cited by 356 · see citing works
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Adult human mesenchymal stem cell as a target for neoplastic transformation
Serakinci, N., Guldberg, P., Burns, J. S., Abdallah, B., Schrødder, H., Jensen, T., & Kassem, M. (2004) · Oncogene · doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1207651 · Cited by 350 · see citing works
LEE, S.-W., JEON, T. J., & BISWAL, S. (2015) · Oncology Reports · doi:10.3892/or.2015.3711 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Pan, X., Gao, T., & Wang, B. (2025) · Cell & Bioscience · doi:10.1186/s13578-025-01520-9 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“HSPCs can develop into cells of all three embryonic lineages [56].”
- Authors
- Preston, S. L., Alison, M. R., Forbes, S. J., Direkze, N. C., Poulsom, R., & Wright, N. A.
- Affiliations
- Queen Mary University of London (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Cancer Research UK (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Preston, S L
- Venue
- Molecular Pathology
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2003-04
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 86-96
- ISSN
- 1366-8714 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-4154
- PMC
- PMC1187299
- OpenAlex
- W2096183212
- Cited by
- 158
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 1.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Molecular Pathology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Pluripotent Stem Cells Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Mesenchymal stem cell research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- Keywords
- adult stem cells, transdifferentiation, multipotency, cell fusion, embryonic stem cells, regenerative medicine, stem cell biology
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cell Differentiation, Cell Transformation, Neoplastic, Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Humans, Stem Cells, Neoplastic Stem Cells, Genetic Therapy, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Stem Cell Transplantation
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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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