Spyridonidis Alexandros, Zeiser Robert, Follo Marie, Metaxas Yannis, Finke Jürgen
Freiburg University Medical Center, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Hugstetter Strasse 55, Freiburg, Germany.
Stem Cell Rev. 2005;1(1):37-43. doi: 10.1385/scr:1:1:037.
The stem cell story begins with the recognition of the regenerative powers of the head of the Lernean Hydra and the human liver (Prometheus) by the ancient Greeks. In modern times, the adult human stem cell has been epitomized by the hematopoietic stem cell in the bone marrow. More recently, bone marrow derived cells were reported to contribute to nonhematopoietic organs, suggesting a level of plasticity not previously expected. However, other reports failed to repeat some of these results, resulting in a heated debate on the plasticity of adult stem cells that has crossed over into the public domain and become a matter of political impact on the use of embryonic vs adult stem cells for organ regeneration or gene therapy. This review discusses the current status of the "plasticity" debate and presents existing data on detection methodology, underlying mechanisms, physiological implications, and clinical significance.
干细胞的故事始于古希腊人对勒拿九头蛇的头部和人类肝脏（普罗米修斯）再生能力的认识。在现代，成体人类干细胞以骨髓中的造血干细胞为代表。最近，有报道称骨髓来源的细胞可参与非造血器官的形成，这表明其具有前所未有的可塑性。然而，其他报告未能重复其中一些结果，引发了关于成体干细胞可塑性的激烈争论，这场争论已进入公众领域，并对使用胚胎干细胞与成体干细胞进行器官再生或基因治疗产生了政治影响。本综述讨论了“可塑性”争论的现状，并展示了有关检测方法、潜在机制、生理意义和临床意义的现有数据。
