Abstract
Adult stem cells retain some capacity for self-renewal, although it is limited in comparison with embryonic stem cells, and are more restricted in their differentiation capacity. Adult stem cells are also commonly referred to as tissue specific stem cells. Some adult stem cells are still able to give rise to several specialized cell types (multipotent stem cells), whereas others are limited to a single specialized cell type (unipotent stem cells). Progenitor cells, the progeny of adult stem cells, differ from stem cells in that the potential for long-term self-renewal is lost. Scientifically, progenitor cells are more differentiated than stem cells. Primary stem cell progeny progenitor cells, usually known as multipotent adult progenitor cells, have full lineage-specific potential, whereas next-generation progenitors (oligopotent progenitors) are more lineage-restricted. This adult stem cell and progenitor cell hierarchy system exists to preserve a homeostatic repair and maintenance of the body, replenishing specialized cells and sustaining the routine cellular turnover in regenerative organs. Furthermore, the properties of these cells make them good candidates for targeted drug/gene delivery to specific organs; for example, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have recently been shown to preferentially home to the lung. Adult stem and progenitor cells may be either circulating or resident in a particular tissue/organ system, including the lung and pulmonary vasculature. This chapter briefly describes the adult stem and progenitor cells currently identified in the pulmonary vasculature and introduces methodological approaches to successfully identify stem and progenitor cells.
Published Version
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