Division of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Dec;32(12):2053-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07524.x.
Stem cells/progenitors are being discovered in a growing number of adult tissues. They have been hypothesized for a long time to exist in the pituitary, especially because this gland is characterized by its plasticity as it constantly adapts its hormonal response to evolving needs, under the control of the hypothalamus. Recently, five labs have reported the presence of adult progenitors in the gland and shown their endocrine differentiation potential, using different in vitro assays, selection methods and markers to purify and characterize these similar cell populations. These will be discussed here, highlighting common points, and also differences. Thanks to these recent developments it is now possible to integrate progenitors into the physiology of the gland, and uncover their participation in normal but also pathological situations. Moreover, experimental situations inducing generation of new endocrine cells can now be re-visited in light of the involvement of progenitors, and also used to better understand their role. Some of these aspects will also be developed in this review.
越来越多的成年组织中发现了干细胞/祖细胞。长期以来，人们一直假设它们存在于垂体中，特别是因为这个腺体的特点是具有可塑性，它在受到下丘脑控制的情况下，不断适应其激素反应以满足不断变化的需求。最近，五个实验室报告了在腺体中存在成年祖细胞，并使用不同的体外检测、选择方法和标记物来纯化和描述这些相似的细胞群体，展示了它们的内分泌分化潜力。本文将讨论这些研究，突出共同点，也指出差异。由于这些最新进展，现在可以将祖细胞纳入腺体的生理学中，并揭示它们在正常和病理情况下的参与。此外，诱导新内分泌细胞生成的实验情况现在可以根据祖细胞的参与重新进行研究，并用于更好地理解它们的作用。本文还将探讨其中的一些方面。
