Published online Jun 26, 2020. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i6.438
Peer-review started: February 29, 2020
First decision: April 25, 2020
Revised: May 13, 2020
Accepted: May 27, 2020
Article in press: May 27, 2020
Published online: June 26, 2020
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stromal cells with great potential for clinical applications. However, little is known about their cell heterogeneity at a single-cell resolution, which severely impedes the development of MSC therapy. In this review, we focus on advances in the identification of novel surface markers and functional subpopulations of MSCs made by single-cell RNA sequencing and discuss their participation in the pathophysiology of stem cells and related diseases. The challenges and future directions of single-cell RNA sequencing in MSCs are also addressed in this review.
Core tip: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an important kind of multipotent stroma cells in vivo. Previous studies have focused on large groups of cells. In this review, we focus on advances in the identification of novel surface markers and functional subpopulations of MSCs made by single-cell RNA sequencing and discuss their participation in the pathophysiology of stem cells and related diseases.