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Access through your institution Buy or subscribe The growth plates are key to longitudinal growth during childhood and adolescence as they provide a continuous supply of chondrocytes.

However, how this supply of chondrocytes is maintained throughout the growth period has been an open question in the bone field. Now, a new study published in _Nature_ reveals that a stem

cell niche is present in the epiphyseal growth plate of mice, which supplies chondrocytes to the growing bone. Using this technique, the researchers were able to confirm previous theories

that chondroprogenitors are gradually depleted. However, they demonstrated that this depletion only occurs in early life in mice. In adolescence, a bony structure developed in the epiphysis,

which altered the microenvironment. Following the formation of this structure, the remaining chondroprogenitors were able to self-renew, undergoing symmetric cell division and expressing

novel stem cell markers. These changes enabled the growth plate to continue to supply the cells required for growth. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

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FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES ORIGINAL ARTICLE * Newton, P. T. et al. A radical switch in clonality reveals a stem cell niche in the epiphyseal growth plate. _Nature_

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-0989-6 (2019) Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Nature Reviews Endocrinology

http://www.nature.com/nrendo/ Claire Greenhill Authors * Claire Greenhill View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR

Correspondence to Claire Greenhill. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Greenhill, C. What makes bones grow?. _Nat Rev Endocrinol_ 15, 254

(2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0189-3 Download citation * Published: 05 March 2019 * Issue Date: May 2019 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-019-0189-3 SHARE THIS ARTICLE

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