Many types of adult stem cells exist in a state of cell-cycle quiescence, yet it has remained unclear whether quiescence plays a role in maintaining the stem cell fate. Here we establish the adult germline of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model for facultative stem cell quiescence. We find that mitotically dividing germ cells--including germline stem cells--become quiescent in the absence of food...

The mechanisms underlying adult stem cell behaviour are likely to be diverse and have not yet been investigated systematically. Here we conducted an unbiased genetic screen using Drosophila ovarian follicle stem cells to probe essential functions regulating self-renewal of epithelial stem cells. Surprisingly, we find that niche adhesion emerges as the most commonly affected essential stem cell ...

the clinical potentials of stem cells in cell-based therapies have raised great hopes in diabetes mellitus as well. however, there are complex ethical, legal, and socio-cultural issues surrounding the subject. in this paper, we intend to review in brief the main ethical issues for endocrinologists and other clinicians who are interested and work in the field of cell therapy and research.