Stress as a fundamental theme in cell plasticity.

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Mammalian cells possess a capacity for fate changes, a phenomenon extensively studied over the past decade.
• Cellular plasticity, including dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation, occurs both in vivo and in vitro.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence for cell fate changes in mammalian tissues.
• To explore the role of stress in inducing cellular plasticity.
• To propose a mechanism for dedifferentiation in tissue regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on mammalian cell plasticity.
• Analysis of studies investigating dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation in vivo and in vitro.
• Examination of cellular responses to stressful conditions and tissue damage.

Main Results:

• Stressful conditions, such as tissue damage or isolation from the microenvironment, induce significant cell fate changes.
• Dedifferentiation, where mature cells revert to less mature states, is observed in rare cells following severe damage.
• Cellular stress, potentially sensed through loss of cell-cell contact, triggers dedifferentiation.

Conclusions:

• Mammalian cells exhibit remarkable plasticity, allowing mature cell fates to change.
• Cellular stress is a key driver of dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation.
• Dedifferentiation may serve as a mechanism to generate stem cell reservoirs for tissue repair and regeneration.