Application of mesenchymal stem cells for anti-senescence and clinical challenges

Abstract

Senescence is a hot topic nowadays, which shows the accumulation of senescent cells and inflammatory factors, leading to the occurrence of various senescence-related diseases. Although some methods have been identified to partly delay senescence, such as strengthening exercise, restricting diet, and some drugs, these only slow down the process of senescence and cannot fundamentally delay or even reverse senescence. Stem cell-based therapy is expected to be a potential effective way to alleviate or cure senescence-related disorders in the coming future. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are the most widely used cell type in treating various diseases due to their potentials of self-replication and multidirectional differentiation, paracrine action, and immunoregulatory effects. Some biological characteristics of MSCs can be well targeted at the pathological features of aging. Therefore, MSC-based therapy is also a promising strategy to combat senescence-related diseases. Here we review the recent progresses of MSC-based therapies in the research of age-related diseases and the challenges in clinical application, proving further insight and reference for broad application prospects of MSCs in effectively combating senesce in the future.

Keywords: Aging; Mesenchymal stromal cells; Regenerative medicine; Senescence; Senescence-related diseases; Stem cells.

Fig. 1

Senescence is often accompanied by cellular senescence, which caused by multiple factors, such as telomere shortening, DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic changes, and oxidative stress. And senescence leads to the occurrence of age-related diseases

Fig. 2

Senescence contributes to CVDs and MSCs have the ability to improve the treatment of CVDs

Fig. 3

Senescence is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. MSCs have the ability of migration and homing to make them play a role in the aging brain, and they can treat neurodegenerative diseases by deriving functional neurons and the paracrine function

Fig. 4

The morphology of hUC-MSCs: young hUC-MSCs at passage 5 (left) and senescent hUC-MSCs at passage 10 (right)

Fig. 5

Senescent MSCs were cultured with the CM derived from young MSCs (Y-CM); the senescent stem cells could be rejuvenated by reducing oxidative stress and restoring autophagy