Intrinsic and Extrinsic Regulation of Tissue Stem Cells

Epithelial tissues are maintained by populations of stem cells residing in unique environments – so called niches. These niches provide stable environments that safeguard stem cell properties by carefully controlling self-renewal and differentiation. This ensures that the overall balance between cell loss and gain with tissues is maintained during steady state homeostasis. Stem cell niches are complex structures, which contain a range of different cell types including non-epithelial cells, matrix components organized into specialized structural component. As such epithelial stem cells are regulated by a range of both intrinsic and extrinsic signals. Upon tissue damage, stem cells will however have to respond rapidly by generating offspring to restore tissue function and architecture. This obviously requires that the local microenvironment and niche can respond to these needs and thereby support the process. Disease will occur if either the normal homeostatic or regenerative behavior of stem cells is compromised. It is consequently important to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic components that influence epithelial stem cells in vivo, in living animals, to produce specific functional cell types and ultimately rebuild and maintain functional organs. Epithelial stem cells present an opportunity for accelerated understanding of tissue biology, as some relevant principles and regulatory pathways in several different epithelial tissues overlap. Breaking news in one epithelial system could solve similar problems in another tissue. Thus, sharing ideas and most recent information will benefit the field as a whole. The GRC on Epithelia Stem Cells and their Niches will include work from the epidermis and its appendages, intestine, lung, mammary gland, oral & craniofacial complex, and other emerging epithelial tissues, in several model organisms. The focus of the 2024 conference is intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of tissue stem cells using cutting edge techniques such as single cell analysis, organoid cultures and transplantation across murine, human and developmental model organism systems.