Pericytes or Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Is That the Question?

Area of Science:

• Stem cell biology
• Developmental biology
• Cell biology

Background:

• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely considered to reside as perivascular cells in various tissues in vivo for nearly a decade.
• This long-standing hypothesis has guided research in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vivo progenitor potential of perivascular cells.
• To challenge the prevailing notion that perivascular cells function as tissue-specific stem cells.

Main Methods:

• Utilized lineage tracing techniques in various organs.
• Assessed the behavior and differentiation capacity of perivascular cells in vivo.

Main Results:

• Perivascular cells did not demonstrate behavior consistent with tissue-specific progenitors across multiple organs.
• Despite exhibiting mesenchymal stem cell potential in vitro, their in vivo progenitor function is questionable.

Conclusions:

• The study challenges the established view of perivascular cells as resident tissue-specific stem cell populations.
• Findings suggest that the in vitro MSC potential of perivascular cells may not accurately reflect their in vivo differentiation capacity.