Stem cell antigen 1-positive mesenchymal cells are the origin of follicular cells during thyroid regeneration.

ABSTRACT: Many tissues are thought to contain adult stem/progenitor cells that are responsible for repair of the tissue where they reside upon damage and/or carcinogenesis, conditions when cellular homeostasis becomes uncontrolled. While the presence of stem/progenitor cells of the thyroid has been suggested, how these cells contribute to thyroid regeneration remains unclear. Here we show the origin of thyroid follicular cells and the process of their maturation to become follicular cells during regeneration. By using β-galactosidase (β-gal) reporter mice in conjunction with partial thyroidectomy as a model for thyroid regeneration, and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) long label-retaining cell analysis, we demonstrated that stem cell antigen 1 (Sca1) and BrdU-positive, but β-gal and NKX2-1 negative cells w

SUBMITTER: Okamoto M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3836768 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature