New perspective of skeletal stem cells.

Area of Science:

• Stem cell biology
• Skeletal biology
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Tissue-resident stem cells exhibit self-renewal and multilineage differentiation.
• Skeletal stem cells (SSCs) were initially identified in growth plates.
• Understanding SSC diversity beyond long bones is an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the spatial and temporal distribution of skeletal stem cells (SSCs).
• To broaden the understanding of SSC diversity and plasticity.
• To summarize recent research progress on SSCs.

Main Methods:

• Cell surface markers and lineage tracing identified SSCs.
• Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and single-cell sequencing map lineage trajectories.
• Investigation of SSCs in sutures, craniofacial, and spinal regions.

Main Results:

• SSCs are found in various anatomical locations, including sutures, craniofacial, and spinal regions.
• Spatiotemporal distribution influences SSC lineage trajectories.
• The SSC niche, through cell-cell interactions and signaling pathways, regulates SSC fate.

Conclusions:

• SSCs exhibit significant anatomical diversity and plasticity.
• Further research into SSCs in different regions is crucial for understanding skeletal development and regeneration.
• The SSC niche is a key regulator of stem cell fate.