CD133, a stem cell marker in mice: Results in animal models cannot always be applied to human skin

摘要

To the Editor,Stem cell biology exerts an increasing influence on contemporary medicine, both in terms of therapeutic advances and in the diagnostic arena. In dermatopathology, stem cell markers are being employed to shed further light on tumor origin. Ignoring the hype, a cautious approach to their use is prudent. This holds especially true when results from animal experiments are applied to the human. Nestin, e.g. is thought to be a marker of bulge keratinocytes in mice, but expression has never been convincingly shown in the human hair follicle bulge. In humans, it labels mesenchymal stem cells instead.