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Postnatal skeletal growth is driven by the epiphyseal stem cell niche: potential implications to pediatrics

Andrei S Chagin1,2, Phillip T Newton3,4

  • 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden. andrei.chagin@ki.se.

Pediatric Research
|December 13, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Skeletal Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Longitudinal bone growth in children relies on growth plates generating chondrocytes.
  • Recent studies reveal stem cells and a stem cell niche within the growth plate.
  • This niche emerges with the maturation of the secondary ossification center (SOC).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the distinct mechanisms of chondrocyte generation in neonatal versus postnatal growth.
  • To discuss the implications of stem cell niche activity on longitudinal growth.
  • To consider the influence of factors like estrogens, nutrition, and growth hormone.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of recent findings on growth plate stem cells and niches.
  • Comparative analysis of chondrocyte generation mechanisms across different developmental stages.
  • Discussion of potential regulatory factors impacting longitudinal growth.

Main Results:

  • Neonatal bone growth relies on chondro-progenitor consumption.
  • Postnatal bone growth is driven by stem cell niche activity.
  • The stem cell niche appears with SOC maturation into the epiphysis.

Conclusions:

  • Chondrocyte generation mechanisms differ significantly between neonatal and postnatal periods.
  • Stem cell niche activity is crucial for postnatal longitudinal bone growth.
  • Estrogens, nutrition, and growth hormone may modulate these growth processes.

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