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Stem cells

Equilibrium established

Nature volume 521, pages 299–300 (2015)Cite this article

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Pluripotent cells can produce all cell types in the body. It emerges that this state of potential is endowed by cues, including inhibition of Wnt signalling, that maintain a balance between diverse cellular outcomes. See Article p.316

Achieving dualism — a state in which two opposing forces coexist in balance — is central to Taoist philosophy, and, it has now emerged, to stem cells too. Stem cells reside at a nexus of opportunity, harbouring the potential to form myriad tissues, from blood to bone to brain. Balancing these diverse potentials is key to endowing and maintaining stem-cell identity1. On page 316 of this issue, Wu et al.2 show that neutralizing one cellular signalling pathway, Wnt, helps stem cells to achieve such balance.

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Figure 1: Stabilizing the stem-cell seesaw.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kyle M. Loh is in the Department of Developmental Biology and at the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.,

    Kyle M. Loh

  2. Bing Lim is at Merck Research Laboratories, Translational Medicine Research Centre, Singapore 138665.,

    Bing Lim

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  1. Kyle M. Loh
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  2. Bing Lim
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Correspondence to Kyle M. Loh or Bing Lim.

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Loh, K., Lim, B. Equilibrium established. Nature 521, 299–300 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/521299a

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