Leydig Cells in the Adult Testis: Characterization, Regulation and Potential Applications.

Leydig Cells in the Adult Testis: Characterization, Regulation and Potential Applications. Endocr Rev. 2019 Nov 01;: Authors: Chen P, Zirkin BR, Chen H Abstract Androgen deficiency (hypogonadism) affects males of all ages. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is effective in restoring serum testosterone and relieving symptoms. TRT, however, is reported to have possible adverse side-effects in part because testosterone is administered, not produced in response to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Progress in stem cell biology offers potential alternatives for treating hypogonadism. Adult Leydig cells (ALCs) are generated by stem Leydig cells (SLCs) during puberty. SLCs persist in the adult testis. Considerable progress has been made in the identification, isolation, expansion and differentiation of SLCs in vitro. In addition to forming ALCs, SLCs are multipotent, with the ability to give rise to all three major cell lineages of typical mesenchymal stem cells, including osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes. Several regulatory factors, including desert hedgehog and platelet-derived growth factor, have been reported to play key roles in the proliferation and differentiation of SLCs into the Leydig lineage. In addition, stem cells from several non-steroidogenic sources including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mature fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow, adipose tissue, ...
Source: ENDOCR REV - Category: Endocrinology Authors: Tags: Endocr Rev Source Type: research