Stem cell niche
DEStammzellnische
The stem cell niche is the local microenvironment that controls a stem cell. It is made of neighboring support cells, blood vessels, the extracellular matrix, soluble signals, and physical cues like stiffness and oxygen level. Together these tell a stem cell when to stay dormant, when to self-renew, and when to differentiate. Famous niches include the bone marrow (endosteal and perivascular) for blood stem cells, the intestinal crypt base for Lgr5+ gut stem cells, and the hair-follicle bulge for skin stem cells. With age, your niches degrade. The matrix stiffens, support cells are lost, inflammatory signals build, and local senescent cells leak SASP. That impairs stem-cell function even when the stem cells themselves still have intrinsic potential. That distinction matters for therapy: restoring niche signals can partly rejuvenate aged stem-cell activity.
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