Identification Of Human Gastrointestinal Stem Cell Markers

Background: Stem cells are defined as cells that have the ability to perpetuate themselves through selfrenewal and to generate mature cells of a particular tissue through differentiation. They are primitive cells located in tissues through the entire life. Recently there have "tumor stem cell hypothesis", it deems that there are little neoplastic cells in tumor work as "stem cells". These cells have extensive proliferative potential and the ability to give rise to new tissues, play definitive effect in tumorigeness and tumorous growth. Other cells in tumor differentiate temporally and died. So the researchs of relationship between normal stem cells and tumor stem cells become hot spots because of their analogies. Some scholars think that the accumulation of genetic mutations in normal stem cells is the origin of tumorigeness.The cells of the gastrointestinal epithelial mucosa are constantly under high regenerative pressure, due to the expeditious rate of cell turnover in this tissue. To regulate homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract, a vital balance between cell apoptosis, senescence and the proliferation and differentiation of new cells must be maintained. This role is attributed to the gastrointestinal stem cell. It is generally accepted that in the stomach, epithelial cell migration is bidirectional, with cells originating in a putative stem cell compartment in the isthmus region of the gastric gland and migrating both upwards towards the lumen, and down into lower regions of...