Key Stem Cell Markers
| Marker (gene) | Stem cell type | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|
| OCT4 (POU5F1) | Embryonic / iPSC | Core pluripotency transcription factor |
| SOX2 | Embryonic / neural | Pluripotency; also maintains neural stem cells |
| NANOG | Embryonic / iPSC | Pluripotency and self-renewal |
| LIN28A | Embryonic / iPSC | RNA-binding protein in undifferentiated cells |
| CD34 | Hematopoietic (adult) | Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells |
| LGR5 | Adult (intestinal, epithelial) | Wnt target gene; marks adult epithelial stem cells |
| CD73 (NT5E) | Mesenchymal | Required MSC surface marker (ISCT criteria) |
| CD90 (THY1) | Mesenchymal | Required MSC surface marker (ISCT criteria) |
| CD105 (ENG) | Mesenchymal | Required MSC surface marker (ISCT criteria) |
| Nestin (NES) | Neural | Intermediate filament in neural stem and progenitor cells |
| GFAP | Astroglial | Radial glia and astrocyte-lineage neural stem cells |
| OLIG2 | Oligodendrocyte | Oligodendrocyte lineage, including precursor cells (OPCs) |
| CD133 (PROM1) | Cancer / hematopoietic / neural | Stem and progenitor cells; widely used for cancer stem cells |
| CD44 | Cancer / mesenchymal | Cancer stem cells in many solid tumors |
| ALDH1A1 | Cancer | High aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in cancer stem cells |