Open AccessRejuvenating Strategies of Tissue-specific Stem Cells for Healthy Aging
Author(s) -
Minjun Wang,
Jiajia Chen,
Fei Chen,
Qinggui Liu,
Yu Sun,
Yan Chen,
Tao Yang,
Yiwen Bao,
Yiping Hu
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aging and disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.808
H-Index - 54
ISSN - 2152-5250
DOI - 10.14336/ad.2018.1119
Subject(s) - stem cell , rejuvenation , medicine , regeneration (biology) , stem cell theory of aging , population , niche , neuroscience , gerontology , progenitor cell , bioinformatics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental health , stem cell factor , ecology
Although aging is a physiological process, it has raised interest in the science of aging and rejuvenation because of the increasing burden on the rapidly aging global population. With advanced age, there is a decline in homeostatic maintenance and regenerative responsiveness to the injury of various tissues, thereby contributing to the incidence of age-related diseases. The primary cause of the functional declines that occur along with aging is considered to be the exhaustion of stem cell functions in their corresponding tissues. Age-related changes in the systemic environment, the niche, and stem cells contribute to this loss. Thus, the reversal of stem cell aging at the cellular level might lead to the rejuvenation of the animal at an organismic level and the prevention of aging, which would be critical for developing new therapies for age-related dysfunction and diseases. Here, we will explore the effects of aging on stem cells in different tissues. The focus of this discussion is on pro-youth interventions that target intrinsic stem cell properties, environmental niche component, systemic factors, and senescent cellular clearance, which are promising for developing strategies related to the reversal of aged stem cell function and optimizing tissue repair processes.