As part of our ongoing work within the RMIP (Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project) community, we want to initiate a structured effort to develop a shared list of cellular markers that can be applied consistently across our studies. The goal of this thread is to gather input, critically assess existing knowledge, and work toward a consensus reference set that strengthens reproducibility and cross-study comparison.
Scope and Context
This effort is focused on regenerative medicine research within RMIP, with special attention to markers used for:
Identifying and characterizing stem/progenitor cell populations
Tracking differentiation trajectories during tissue repair and regeneration
Evaluating immune and stromal cell contributions within regenerative contexts
Ensuring robust cross-validation of emerging biomarkers between in vitro, in vivo, and preclinical/translational studies
We are not aiming to propose an exhaustive catalog of all known cellular markers, but instead to build a practical set of well-validated, context-relevant markers that multiple RMIP teams can rely on.
Cell Types of Interest
Based on ongoing RMIP priorities, some of the populations we anticipate needing consensus markers for include:
Specificity: Does the marker uniquely identify the intended stem, progenitor, or differentiated lineage?
Sensitivity: Is the marker robust enough to detect rare populations during regeneration?
Context-dependence: Are these markers consistent across in vitro culture, preclinical models, and human tissues?
State vs. Identity: Some markers indicate activation or differentiation status rather than lineage identity. We should clarify when markers define cell identity versus functional state.
Stability Across Platforms: Do markers perform consistently across modalities such as flow cytometry, immunostaining, RNA-seq validation, or proteomic approaches?
Call to Action:
Please share your experiences, preferred sets of markers, and any challenges you’ve encountered. It would be especially helpful if you can highlight:
Markers you’ve found most reliable for distinguishing specific subtypes.
Situations where marker sensitivity or specificity was problematic.
Literature references.
By pooling our knowledge, we can build a consensus marker framework that supports all RMIP investigators and ensures stronger interoperability across our studies.
Looking forward to your perspectives and contributions!
Jeran Stratford
As part of our ongoing work within the RMIP (Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project) community, we want to initiate a structured effort to develop a shared list of cellular markers that can be applied consistently across our studies. The goal of this thread is to gather input, critically assess existing knowledge, and work toward a consensus reference set that strengthens reproducibility and cross-study comparison.
Scope and Context
This effort is focused on regenerative medicine research within RMIP, with special attention to markers used for:
We are not aiming to propose an exhaustive catalog of all known cellular markers, but instead to build a practical set of well-validated, context-relevant markers that multiple RMIP teams can rely on.
Cell Types of Interest
Based on ongoing RMIP priorities, some of the populations we anticipate needing consensus markers for include:
Key Considerations for Marker Selection
Call to Action:
Please share your experiences, preferred sets of markers, and any challenges you’ve encountered. It would be especially helpful if you can highlight:
By pooling our knowledge, we can build a consensus marker framework that supports all RMIP investigators and ensures stronger interoperability across our studies.
Looking forward to your perspectives and contributions!