Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026
05:27
Author Spotlight: Advancing Hematopoietic Research Using Stromal Cell Isolation for Single Cell Sequencing
Published on: January 26, 2024
1.7K
The evolutionary trade-off between stem cell niche size, aging, and tumorigenesis
Vincent L Cannataro1,2, Scott A McKinley3, Colette M St Mary2
1Department of Biostatistics Yale School of Public Health Yale University New Haven CT USA.
Evolutionary Applications
|June 16, 2017
Summary
Stem cell mutations in tissue niches drive aging and attrition due to genetic drift in small populations. An evolutionary trade-off exists between niche size, aging, and cancer risk.
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Mathematical modeling
Background:
- Epithelial tissues rely on stem cells for continuous replenishment and homeostasis.
- Stem cell divisions accumulate mutations, contributing to aging and cancer.
- The size of stem cell niches influences mutation dynamics and tissue fate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To mathematically model the intestinal stem cell niche and its response to mutations.
- To investigate the impact of mutation accumulation on tissue homeostasis and aging.
- To explore the evolutionary trade-offs between niche size, aging, and tumorigenesis risk.
Main Methods:
- Development of a mathematical model for the intestinal stem cell niche, crypt system, and epithelium.
- Calculation of the effects of fixed mutations on stem cell fitness and tissue homeostasis.
- Analysis of mutation accumulation across varying stem cell niche sizes.
Main Results:
- Small stem cell niche sizes lead to mutations fixing primarily through genetic drift, reducing stem cell fitness and causing tissue attrition.
- An evolutionary trade-off was identified: larger niches reduce aging but increase cancer risk, while smaller niches minimize cancer risk at the cost of accelerated aging.
- Human and mouse stem cell niche sizes appear optimized to minimize tumorigenesis risk, accepting increased aging due to deleterious mutations.
Conclusions:
- Genetic drift in small stem cell niches is a key driver of aging and tissue decline.
- Stem cell niche size represents a critical evolutionary trade-off between cancer prevention and aging.
- The balance between aging and cancer risk is modulated by selection pressures within the stem cell niche.
Keywords:
agingbiomedicineevolutionary theorypopulation dynamicspopulation genetics—theoreticalstem cellstumorigenesisMore Related Videos
09:19Single Myofiber Culture Assay for the Assessment of Adult Muscle Stem Cell Functionality Ex Vivo
Published on: February 15, 2021
5.6K
09:27Cell Sorting of Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells from the Adult Mouse Subventricular Zone and Live-imaging of their Cell Cycle Dynamics
Published on: September 14, 2015
14.7K
Related Concept Videos
01:26Stem Cell Niche
6.5K
The stem cell niche is the dynamic microenvironment where stem cells reside. Inside these niches, the cells may remain undifferentiated, undergo high self-renewal, or become lineage-specific progenitors. Stem cells coexist with other niche cells, such as stromal cells. They also interact closely with the ECM. Cell-cell and cell-matrix communication occur via adhesion molecules or soluble factors that signal the stem cells and determine their fate. Stromal cells also provide survival signals to...
6.5K
01:06Multipotency and Niche of Bulge Stem Cell
4.3K
A hair follicle or HF is a small part of the skin that produces the hair shaft. Paul Gerson Unna was the first to observe a bulge in the human hair follicle's outer root sheath (ORS). The bulge is present between the sebaceous gland and the arrector pili muscle and is the niche for hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). The bulge is also a niche for melanocyte stem cells, and their loss results in graying of hair. The HFSCs express Sox9 and Lhx2, which help them maintain stemness and prevent...
4.3K
01:19Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
4.0K
The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...
4.0K
02:36Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
5.2K
Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
5.2K
02:15Replicative Cell Senescence
4.5K
Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds...
4.5K
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
6.2K
Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
6.2K