Randomness, collective dynamics and the definition of Stem Cell - talk by Prof. Dr. Bernat Corominas Murtra
Although several molecular markers have been described to predict stem cell potential, whether there exists a general definition of stemness in terms of biochemical properties of cells or not remains an open question. Recent results point to the interesting hypothesis that collective cell dynamics itself, far for being a consequence of individual cell properties, could play a key role in the emergence of the stem cell region in an organ. In that frame, stemness would be a context-dependent property emerging from the global dynamics of the tissue. In this talk, I will show a general framework based on stochastic dynamics of competition for space from which one can predict the robust emergence of a region made of functional stem cells, without referring to their biochemical identity. The mathematical framework provided predictions that have been confronted with data obtained from intravital live-imaging experiments in mammary gland development, kidney development, and from the self-renewal dynamics of the intestinal crypt. In addition, the proposed framework identifies key differences in terms of functionality that are not visible using the standard approach based on molecular marker identification.
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