# Human cranial stem cells: developmental, pathologic, and therapeutic implications

## TL;DR

This review explores human cranial stem cells and their roles in skull development and repair, aiming to improve regenerative therapies.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of human cranial stem cell biology and proposes future research directions for regenerative strategies.

## Key findings

- Cranial stem cells reside in specific niches like sutures, dura, and periosteum.
- Signaling pathways regulate cranial stem cell function and lineage commitment.
- Future research should focus on high-resolution profiling and mechanism-based regenerative therapies.

## Abstract

Cranial skeletal stem cells are central to skull development, maintenance, and repair. These stem cell populations balance self-renewal with lineage commitment, providing osteogenic, chondrogenic, and stromal outputs required for craniofacial growth. While bone grafting remains the gold standard for reconstruction, limitations in donor supply and morbidity have driven interest in harnessing endogenous regenerative programs. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge of human cranial stem cell biology, drawing on developmental, molecular, and imaging data. We delineate their distinct niches within the sutures, dura, and periosteum, as well as the signaling pathways that regulate their function. We then highlight future avenues of investigation, including high-resolution profiling of human stem cell populations and development of mechanism-based regenerative strategies that integrate cell therapy with scaffold design.