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Updated: May 9, 2026

Competitive Transplants to Evaluate Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fitness
Published on: August 31, 2016
Stem cell competition
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
None:
Cell competition is a conserved, fitness-based process in which "winner" cells eliminate or displace less-fit "loser" neighbors, thereby shaping development, tissue homeostasis, and disease. This review synthesizes how principles of competition operate in stem cell compartments, focusing on the adult Drosophila testis as a genetically tractable model where neutral competition provides a baseline for stem cell turnover, and defined genetic perturbations bias competition to favor specific clones. I compare intra- and inter-lineage competition among somatic cyst stem cells, germline stem cells, and dedifferentiating germ cells, highlighting mechanisms that link signaling, proliferation, adhesion, and niche remodeling to competitive fitness. I then discuss mammalian paradigms such as clonal hematopoiesis, intestinal "supercompetitors," and spermatogonial stem cell dynamics in open niches, framing stem cell competition as a driver of aging, clonal evolution, and cancer risk.
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