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Review
. 2015 Aug;240(8):1099-106.
doi: 10.1177/1535370215591828. Epub 2015 Jun 18.

Mesenchymal stem cell aging: Mechanisms and influences on skeletal and non-skeletal tissues

Huijuan Liu  1 , Xuechun Xia  1 , Baojie Li  2
Affiliations
Review

Mesenchymal stem cell aging: Mechanisms and influences on skeletal and non-skeletal tissues

Huijuan Liu et al. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2015 Aug.

Abstract

The aging population and the incidence of aging-related diseases such as osteoporosis are on the rise. Aging at the tissue and organ levels usually involves tissue stem cells. Human and animal model studies indicate that aging affects two aspects of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC): a decrease in the bone marrow MSC pool and biased differentiation into adipocyte at the cost of osteoblast, which underlie the etiology of osteoporosis. Aging of MSC cells is also detrimental to some non-skeletal tissues, in particular the hematopoietic system, where MSCs serve as a niche component. In addition, aging compromises the therapeutic potentials of MSC cells, including cells isolated from aged individuals or cells cultured for many passages. Here we discuss the recent progress on our understanding of MSC aging, with a focus on the effects of MSC aging on bone remodeling and hematopoiesis and the mechanisms of MSC aging.

Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells; aging; biased differentiation; bone remodeling; hematopoietic stem cell; niche; osteoporosis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The effects of aging on MSC differentiation. (+) means positive effect; (−) means negative effect. (A color version of this figure is available in the online journal.)
Figure 2
Figure 2
MSCs and MSC-derived osteoblasts and adipocytes affect HSC self-renewal and differentiation. (+) means positive effect; (−) means negative effect. (A color version of this figure is available in the online journal.)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Extrinsic and intrinsic factors that regulate MSC aging. p53 and p16 control MSC senescence and apoptosis, and PPARγ regulates the biased differentiation. (A color version of this figure is available in the online journal.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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