Tissue Stem Cell Regulation by Autonomous and Non-Autonomous Mechanisms

Adult epithelia regenerate during adult life due to the constant activity of stem cell pools. Stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis and repair injury by close communication with their tissue environment, known as the "niche". Niches are complex, structured arrays of different cell types that guide tissue stem cell dynamics. The ultimate goal of understanding epithelial stem cell regulation is to repair or replace cells or organs damaged by injury, disease, and aging. The strategies vary from generating cell types and tissues in a dish for transplantation purposes, to directly stimulating the damaged organ in the living organism. The Gordon Research Conference "Epithelial Stem Cells and Niches” will focus on comparative principles of adult epithelial stem cell dynamics and niche signaling in the homeostasis of different tissues. This conference will include work on the molecular control of stem cell function from the epidermis and its appendages, intestine, lung, mammary gland, cornea, pancreas, and emerging work from other epithelial tissues. For the 2022 meeting, we have built a scientific program that emphasizes key cutting edge areas in epithelial biology, including organoid techniques, imaging and single cell analysis, bioengineering, systems biology, modeling disease, DNA repair, aging, and immune regulation.