Many paths, few destinations: How stem cells decide what they'll be

How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt - or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are “instructed” to progress along prescribed signaling pathways, is too simplistic. Instead, it supports the idea that cells differentiate through the collective behavior of multiple genes in a network that ultimately leads to just a few endpoints - just as a marble on a hilltop can travel a nearly infinite number of downward paths, only to arrive in the same valley.

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