pRb-E2F signaling in life of mesenchymal stem cells: Cell cycle, cell fate, and cell differentiation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that can differentiate into various mesodermal lines forming fat, muscle, bone, and other lineages of connective tissue. MSCs possess plasticity and under special metabolic conditions may transform into cells of unusual phenotypes originating from ecto- and endoderm. After transplantation, MSCs release the humoral factors promoting regeneration of the damaged tissue. During last five years, the numbers of registered clinical trials of MSCs have increased about 10 folds. This gives evidence that MSCs present a new promising resource for cell therapy of the most dangerous diseases. The efficacy of the MSCs therapy is limited by low possibilities to regulate their conversion into cells of damaged tissues that is implemented by the pRb-E2F signaling. The widely accepted viewpoint addresses pRb as ubiquitous regulator of cell cycle and tumor suppressor. However, current publications suggest that basic function of the pRb-E2F signaling in development is to regulate cell fate and differentiation. Through facultative and constitutive chromatin modifications, pRb-E2F signaling promotes transient and stable cells quiescence, cell fate choice to differentiate, to senesce, or to die. Loss of pRb is associated with cancer cell fate. pRb regulates cell fate by retaining quiescence of one cell population in favor of commitment of another or by suppression of genes of different cell phenotype. pRb is the founder member of the “pocket protein” family possessing functional redundancy. Critical increase in the efficacy of the MSCs based cell therapy will depend on precise understanding of various aspects of the pRb-E2F signaling.