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STEM CELLS

An inflammatory switch for stem cell plasticity

Nature Cell Biology volume 23, pages 928–929 (2021)Cite this article

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Tissue-resident stem cells are capable of remarkable plasticity in areas of tissue damage, where inflammatory cells accumulate as part of the reparative response. A study in the lung now provides critical insight on how inflammatory signals alter cell-to-cell Notch signalling within the airway niche to drive stem cell plasticity.

Epithelial barrier organs have evolved to optimize localized regeneration by specialized stem cells in response to injury. The lung, constituting the largest barrier surface in the body, can be roughly divided into proximal (airway) and distal (alveoli) segments with segmental-specific stem cells along the arborized gas exchange network1. These stem cells reside in highly specialized niches that are capable of recruiting inflammatory cells to areas of damage to the epithelial surface. To produce a coordinated regenerative response, stem cells must possess a mechanism to sense and respond to inflammatory signals that accompany tissue breakdown. In this issue of Nature Cell Biology, Choi et al. uncover a previously unappreciated airway stem cell niche interaction that integrates inflammatory signals to alter Notch activation2.

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Fig. 1: Model of inflammation sensing in the stem cell niche that promotes airway secretory cell plasticity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Jaymin J. Kathiriya & Tien Peng

  2. Cardiovascular Institute and Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Jaymin J. Kathiriya & Tien Peng

Authors
  1. Jaymin J. Kathiriya
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  2. Tien Peng
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Correspondence to Tien Peng.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Kathiriya, J.J., Peng, T. An inflammatory switch for stem cell plasticity. Nat Cell Biol 23, 928–929 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-021-00752-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-021-00752-4

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