Animal Models to Study Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

描述（由申请人提供）：对于许多成人骨骼干细胞群，我们缺乏在复杂组织环境中识别它们并确定它们是否有助于骨骼组织修复的能力。无法在自然环境中研究成体干细胞是一个关键的障碍，必须克服，以促进我们对它们如何促进再生过程的理解。在这里，我们专注于骨髓间充质干细胞（BMSCs），一个具有巨大治疗潜力的成体干细胞群。可以使用小鼠的遗传方法，这将使我们能够在骨骼中识别和命运映射BMSC。我们工作的最新进展确定了一种新的转基因报告基因动物模型，可识别骨髓中的BMSCs。本提案的目的是继续对该动物模型进行表征，以确认我们的初步研究，并建立一个可诱导的Cre版本，使我们能够在体内对该细胞群进行命运图谱。总的来说，这些动物模型将使我们能够测定骨髓中存在的BMSC的数量，并确定它们随着时间的推移对骨骼修复的贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For many adult skeletal stem cell populations, we lack the ability to identify them in complex tissue environments and determine whether they contribute to the repair of skeletal tissue. The inability to study adult stem cells within their natural environment is a critical barrier that must be overcome in order to advance our understanding of how they contribute to regenerative processes. Here we focus on bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), an adult stem cell population with great therapeutic potential. Genetic approaches in mice can be used that would allow us to identify and fate map BMSCs in bone. Recent developments in our work have identified a new transgenic reporter gene animal model that identifies BMSCs in bone marrow. The objectives of this proposal will continue the characterization of this animal model to confirm our preliminary studies and establish an inducible Cre version that will allow us to fate map this cell population in vivo. Collectively, these animal models will allow us to assay the number of BMSCs present in the bone marrow and determine their contribution over time to skeletal repair.