Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the embryonic precursors of the gametes. In rodents, PGCs readily form self-renewing embryonic germ cell (EGC) lines in vitro. Although human PGCs undergo a similar conversion during germ cell tumorigenesis,…
Human endometrium sheds and regenerates each month during the menstrual cycle. N-cadherin+ (CDH2) glandular epithelial progenitors and SUSD2+ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their niches have been identified, but their signaling interacti…
Uterine leiomyoma (LM) is the most common tumor in women. Via its receptor (PGR) expressed in differentiated LM cells, progesterone stimulates paracrine signaling that induces proliferation of PGR-deficient LM stem cells (LSCs). Antiprogest…
Defective endometrial stromal fibroblasts (EMSFs) contribute to uterine factor infertility, endometriosis, and endometrial cancer. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from skin or bone marrow biopsies provide a patient-specific s…
Mast cells are tissue-resident immune cells. Their overgrowth/overactivation results in a range of common distressing, sometimes life-threatening disorders, including asthma, psoriasis, anaphylaxis, and mastocytosis. Currently, drug discove…
The endometrial layer comprises luminal and glandular epithelia that both develop from the same simple layer of fetal uterine epithelium. Mechanisms of uterine epithelial progenitor self-renewal and differentiation are unclear. This study a…