The migration of bone marrow-derived non-hematopoietic tissue-committed stem cells is regulated in an SDF-1-, HGF-, and LIF-dependent manner

Abstract

These findings further support our theory of the BM as a "hideout" for TCSCs and we suggest that their presence in BM tissue should be considered before experimental evidence is interpreted simply as transdifferentiation/plasticity of hematopoietic stem cells. Since we demonstrated that not only SDF-1, but also HGF and LIF are upregulated in damaged tissues, we postulate that CXCR4+ c-Met+ LIF-R+ TCSC could be mobilized from the BM into the PB, from which they are subsequently chemoattracted to damaged organs, where they play a role in tissue repair/regeneration.