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Review
. 2012:740:891-916.
doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-2888-2_40.

Stem cells and calcium signaling

Fernanda M P Tonelli  1 , Anderson K Santos, Dawidson A Gomes, Saulo L da Silva, Katia N Gomes, Luiz O Ladeira, Rodrigo R Resende
Affiliations
Review

Stem cells and calcium signaling

Fernanda M P Tonelli et al. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2012.

Abstract

The increasing interest in stem cell research is linked to the promise of developing treatments for many lifethreatening, debilitating diseases, and for cell replacement therapies. However, performing these therapeutic innovations with safety will only be possible when an accurate knowledge about the molecular signals that promote the desired cell fate is reached. Among these signals are transient changes in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration [Ca(2+)](i). Acting as an intracellular messenger, Ca(2+) has a key role in cell signaling pathways in various differentiation stages of stem cells. The aim of this chapter is to present a broad overview of various moments in which Ca(2+)-mediated signaling is essential for the maintenance of stem cells and for promoting their development and differentiation, also focusing on their therapeutic potential.

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Figures

Fig. 40.1
Fig. 40.1
Origin of stem cells potency, and fates. Totipotent cells exist from the fertilized oocyte until the initial morula’s blastomeres during embryo development. When these cells proliferate and specialize they originate blastocyst, which has two different cell types including ICM cells. ESCs (embryonic stem cells) that are pluripotent, derive from the ICM. After the blastocyst there is the gastrula stage which has mesoderm endoderm and ectoderm cells (multipotent stem cells). These cells can be generated by ESC differentiation and can differentiate into cells from a specific tissue. So, stem cells can proliferate in symmetric self-renewal (diving into two identical daughter stem cells – increasing the stem cells pool) or asymmetric self-renewal (dividing into one differentiated daughter cell and one stem cell – maintaining the stem cell pool), differentiate through symmetric division without self-renewal (originating two differentiated daughter cells) and suffer apoptosis, besides staying quiescent
Fig. 40.2
Fig. 40.2
Major pathways involved in maintaining pluripotency of embryonic stem cells, or promoting their differentiation in culture. Pathways in blue are from mESC; those in red are from hESC. In purple are the pathways observed in both cell types
Fig. 40.3
Fig. 40.3
Major pathways involved in maintaining pluripotency of cardiac stem cells, or promoting their differentiation. See text for more information
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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