Embryonic-like stem cells in marrow

Louisville, Kentucky -

The presence of embryonic-like stem cells has been reported in cord blood as well as amiotic fluid. In a recent review (Kucia et al. Bone marrow-derived very small embryonic-like stem cells: Their developmental origin and biological significance. Dev Dyn. 2007 May 11) a type of cell called "very small embryonic-like stem cell" is described which appears to possesses several features of embryonic stem cells.

The authors describe a cell population from bone marrow that is positive for SSEA, Oct4, Nanog and resembles primordial germ cells.

This population is interesting in light of reports by Jonathan Tilly's group that bone marrow can differentiate into oocytes (Tilly et al. Oocyte generation in adult mammalian ovaries by putative germ cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood.
Cell. 2005 Jul 29;122(2):303-15).

It will be of interest to further characterize these "very small embryonic-like stem cells" and to determine whether therapeutic manipulations of them are possible.