Somatic stem cells and their plasticity

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To the scientist, stem cells offer a precious source of undifferentiated material for the study of cell maturation and specialization. To the clinician, these cells represent a potential source of material for the cure and replacement of damaged organs and tissues. They hold great promise for future therapy: Any disease resulting from genetically or environmentally damaged tissues could, in principle, be repaired through a strategic use of stem cells. 'Somatic Stem Cells and Their Plasticity' contains a timely series of review articles which serve as a primer for basic concepts surrounding stem cell biology. A broad range of topics is explored, including a basic definition of 'stem cell-ness', the genetic control of stem cell longevity, transcriptional regulation of stem cell fate and the debate on tissue stem cell plasticity. Aiming to provide a conceptual scaffold of our current knowledge of stem cell biology, this issue highlights areas of current uncertainty and directs interest towards future experimentation. This publication is of interest to anyone who wishes to gain further insights into current aspects of stem cell biology, as well as to people working with stem cells, such as developmental and molecular biologists and hematologists.