Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Forced Transdifferentiation01:28

Forced Transdifferentiation

2.1K
Transdifferentiation, also known as lineage reprogramming, was first discovered by Selman and Kafatos in 1974 in silkmoths. They observed that the moths’ cuticle-producing cells transformed into salt-producing cells. Many such cases of natural transdifferentiation occur in organisms. In humans, pancreatic alpha cells can become beta cells. In newts, the loss of the eye’s lens causes the pigmented epithelial cells to transdifferentiate into the lens cells.
Artificial...
2.1K
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells01:12

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

2.7K
The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular...
2.7K
Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

Maintenance of the ES Cell State

2.4K
The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
2.4K
Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

5.6K
Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
5.6K
Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells01:19

Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells

3.0K
Epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) are mainly located at the basal layer of the epidermis. These cells repair minor injuries of the skin and replace dead skin cells. However, EpiSCs’ cannot heal severe wounds such as major burns or those from diabetes or hereditary disorders. In such cases, culturing the epidermal stem cells from the patient is possible and has yielded successful treatment options, such as laboratory-grown skin grafts. These grafts are synthesized using a patient’s own...
3.0K
Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions01:23

Epithelial Tissues and Their Functions

31.3K
Epithelial tissues are large sheets of cells covering all of the surfaces of the body. These surfaces can be internal or external, for example, skin, airways, the digestive tract, the urinary system, and the reproductive system. Hollow organs and body cavities that do not connect to the body's exterior, including blood vessels and serous membranes, are lined by epithelial tissue known as the endothelium.
Epithelial tissues provide the body's first line of protection from physical,...
31.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Spectroscopic correlation tomography (SpCT) for visualization of spatial correlations in volumetric OCT scans.

Biomedical optics express·2026
Same author

Connexin 43 Loss in Endothelial Progenitors Facilitates Functional Airway Adaptation After Lung Injury.

Research square·2026
Same author

Medicare Insurance Type and Broad Genomic Profiling in Metastatic Cancer.

JAMA network open·2026
Same author

Stem cell migration drives lung repair in living mice.

Developmental cell·2026
Same author

Rational Design of Immune Gene Therapy Combinations via In Vivo CRISPR Activation Screen of Tumor Microenvironment Modulators.

Cancer discovery·2026
Same author

TP53/TAU axis regulates microtubule bundling to control alveolar stem cell-mediated regeneration.

The Journal of clinical investigation·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Establishing a High Throughput Epidermal Spheroid Culture System to Model Keratinocyte Stem Cell Plasticity
10:03

Establishing a High Throughput Epidermal Spheroid Culture System to Model Keratinocyte Stem Cell Plasticity

Published on: January 30, 2021

4.0K

Epithelial cell plasticity: breaking boundaries and changing landscapes.

Aleksandra Tata1, Ryan D Chow2, Purushothama Rao Tata1,3,4,5

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.

EMBO Reports
|June 7, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Epithelial cells can change identity and function in response to stress, a process termed cell plasticity. Understanding this "tissue logic" may reveal new cancer treatment strategies.

Keywords:
cell plasticitymetaplasianearest developmental neighbortransdifferentiationtransitional zones

More Related Videos

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
11:42

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.6K
Characterizing Epithelial Wound Healing In Vivo Using the Cnidarian Model Organism Clytia hemisphaerica
07:47

Characterizing Epithelial Wound Healing In Vivo Using the Cnidarian Model Organism Clytia hemisphaerica

Published on: February 10, 2023

1.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Establishing a High Throughput Epidermal Spheroid Culture System to Model Keratinocyte Stem Cell Plasticity
10:03

Establishing a High Throughput Epidermal Spheroid Culture System to Model Keratinocyte Stem Cell Plasticity

Published on: January 30, 2021

4.0K
Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
11:42

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells

Published on: April 7, 2017

9.6K
Characterizing Epithelial Wound Healing In Vivo Using the Cnidarian Model Organism Clytia hemisphaerica
07:47

Characterizing Epithelial Wound Healing In Vivo Using the Cnidarian Model Organism Clytia hemisphaerica

Published on: February 10, 2023

1.9K

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Epithelial tissues adapt to environmental and genotoxic stresses.
  • Cells can acquire new identities and functions through lineage plasticity.
  • Tissue-wide shape-shifting alters epithelial form and function under extreme conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review terminology and concepts of cell plasticity in epithelial tissues.
  • To explore intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing cell plasticity.
  • To discuss the principles governing cell identity acquisition and potential therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of cell plasticity research.
  • Analysis of developmental paradigms in tissue adaptation.
  • Synthesis of studies on cellular and molecular mechanisms of plasticity.

Main Results:

  • Cell plasticity follows core "tissue logic" principles rooted in development.
  • Factors like mutations, inflammation, microbiota, and therapies drive cell plasticity.
  • The "syntax" of plasticity is being decoded in homeostatic and malignant tissues.

Conclusions:

  • Cell plasticity is a fundamental adaptive mechanism in epithelial tissues.
  • Understanding plasticity mechanisms offers avenues for novel cancer therapeutics.
  • Targeting cell plasticity could revolutionize cancer treatment strategies.