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Progress and challenges in stem cell biology

Nature Cell Biology volume 25, pages 203–206 (2023)Cite this article

Since stem cells were first discovered, researchers have identified distinct stem cell populations in different organs and with various functions, converging on the unique abilities of self-renewal and differentiation toward diverse cell types. These abilities make stem cells an incredibly promising tool in therapeutics and have turned stem cell biology into a fast-evolving field. Here, stem cell biologists express their view on the most striking advances and current challenges in their field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Effie Apostolou

  2. Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor for Stem Cell Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Helen Blau

  3. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Kenneth Chien

  4. MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK

    Madeline A. Lancaster

  5. Department of Cell Biology and Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Purushothama Rao Tata

  6. IRCAN Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, INSERM Unité 1081, CNRS UMR 7284, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France

    Eirini Trompouki

  7. Directors’ Research Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany

    Fiona M. Watt

  8. State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

    Yi Arial Zeng

  9. School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China

    Yi Arial Zeng

  10. Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz

  11. Stem Cells Self-Organization Group, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz

Authors
  1. Effie Apostolou
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  2. Helen Blau
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  3. Kenneth Chien
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  4. Madeline A. Lancaster
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  5. Purushothama Rao Tata
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  6. Eirini Trompouki
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  7. Fiona M. Watt
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  8. Yi Arial Zeng
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  9. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Effie Apostolou, Helen Blau, Kenneth Chien, Madeline A. Lancaster, Purushothama Rao Tata, Eirini Trompouki, Fiona M. Watt, Yi Arial Zeng or Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz.

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Cite this article

Apostolou, E., Blau, H., Chien, K. et al. Progress and challenges in stem cell biology. Nat Cell Biol 25, 203–206 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01087-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-023-01087-y

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