Dpto. de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1123:19-38. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11096-3_3.
Somatic stem cells confer plasticity to adult tissues, permitting their maintenance, repair and adaptation to a changing environment. Adult germinal niches supporting somatic stem cells have been thoroughly characterized throughout the organism, including in central and peripheral nervous systems. Stem cells do not reside alone within their niches, but they are rather accompanied by multiple progenitor cells that not only contribute to the progression of stem cell lineage but also regulate their behavior. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these interactions within the niche is crucial to comprehend associated pathologies and to use stem cells in cell therapy. We have described a stunning germinal niche in the adult peripheral nervous system: the carotid body. This is a chemoreceptor organ with a crucial function during physiological adaptation to hypoxia. We have shown the presence of multipotent stem cells within this niche, escorted by multiple restricted progenitor cell types that contribute to niche physiology and hence organismal adaptation to the lack of oxygen. Herein, we discuss new and existing data about the nature of all these stem and progenitor cell types present in the carotid body germinal niche, discussing their role in physiology and their clinical relevance for the treatment of diverse pathologies.
体干细胞赋予成体组织可塑性，使其能够维持、修复并适应不断变化的环境。支持体干细胞的成体生殖细胞龛在整个生物体中得到了彻底的描述，包括中枢和外周神经系统。干细胞并不是独自存在于其龛位中，而是伴随着多种祖细胞，这些祖细胞不仅有助于干细胞谱系的进展，而且还调节它们的行为。了解龛位内这些相互作用的机制对于理解相关病理以及在细胞治疗中使用干细胞至关重要。我们已经描述了成年外周神经系统中一个惊人的生殖细胞龛：颈动脉体。这是一个化学感受器器官，在生理适应缺氧过程中具有关键作用。我们已经证明了在这个龛位中存在多能干细胞，伴随着多种受限的祖细胞类型，这些细胞类型有助于龛位生理学，从而有助于机体对缺氧的适应。在此，我们讨论了关于存在于颈动脉体生殖细胞龛中的所有这些干细胞和祖细胞类型的新的和现有的数据，讨论了它们在生理学中的作用及其在治疗多种疾病方面的临床相关性。
