The stem cell microenvironment is involved in regulating the fate of the stem cell with respect to self-renewal, quiescence,\nand differentiation. Mathematical models are helpful in understanding how key pathways regulate the dynamics of stem cell\nmaintenance and homeostasis. This tight regulation and maintenance of stem cell number is thought to break down during\ncarcinogenesis. As a result, the stem cell niche has become a novel target of cancer therapeutics. Developing a quantitative\nunderstanding of the regulatory pathways that guide stem cell behavior will be vital to understanding how these systems change\nunder conditions of stress, inflammation, and cancer initiation. Predictions from mathematical modeling can be used as a clinical\ntool to guide therapy design. We present a survey of mathematical models used to study stem cell population dynamics and\nstem cell niche regulation, both in the hematopoietic system and other tissues. Highlighting the quantitative aspects of stem cell\nbiology, we describe compelling questions that can be addressed with modeling. Finally, we discuss experimental systems, most\nnotably Drosophila, that can best be used to validate mathematical predictions.
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