Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
07:39
SA-β-Galactosidase-Based Screening Assay for the Identification of Senotherapeutic Drugs
Published on: June 28, 2019
Stem cell ageing: does it happen and can we intervene?
Ilaria Bellantuono1, W Nicol Keith
1Academic Unit of Bone Biology, University of Sheffield Medical School, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK. i.bellantuono@shef.ac.uk
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine
|November 21, 2007
Summary
Adult stem cells are crucial for tissue repair but may age, reducing their numbers. Studying stem cell aging offers insights into tissue aging and improves cell therapies.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Gerontology
- Regenerative medicine
Background:
- Adult stem cells are vital for tissue maintenance and repair due to self-renewal and differentiation.
- Investigating stem cell aging is critical to understand tissue aging and optimize cell therapies.
- Research has been limited by a lack of appropriate models and markers for stem cell identification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the concept of adult stem cell aging.
- To understand the implications of stem cell pool decline over an individual's lifespan.
- To highlight the potential of stem cell aging research for therapeutic advancements.
Main Methods:
- The abstract does not specify methods.
- Focuses on the conceptual understanding and implications of stem cell aging.
- Relies on existing and emerging research data.
Main Results:
- Adult stem cells possess self-renewal and multipotent differentiation capacities.
- Stem cell aging may lead to a decreased stem cell pool over time.
- Understanding stem cell aging mechanisms provides insights into tissue aging.
Conclusions:
- Adult stem cell aging is a significant area of research with implications for tissue health.
- Advances in understanding stem cell aging can enhance cell and gene therapy strategies.
- Further research is needed to develop suitable models and markers for studying stem cell aging.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Stem Cell Culture
Stem cell research aims to find ways to use stem cells to regenerate and repair cellular damage. Over time, most adult cells undergo the wear and tear of aging and lose their ability to divide and repair themselves. Stem cells do not display a particular morphology or function. Adult stem cells, which exist as a small subset of cells in most tissues, keep dividing and can differentiate into a number of specialized cells generally formed by that tissue. These cells enable the body to renew and...
01:22iPS Cell Differentiation
The ability of induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs to differentiate into most body cell types has stimulated repair and regenerative medicine research over the past few decades. iPSC-derived blood cells, hepatocytes, beta islet cells, cardiomyocytes, neurons, and other cell types can repair injuries or regenerate damaged tissue in diseases such as diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
02:15Replicative Cell Senescence
Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...
02:15Replicative Cell Senescence
Replicative cell senescence is a property of cells that allows them to divide a finite number of times throughout the organism's lifespan while preventing excessive proliferation. Replicative senescence is associated with the gradual loss of the telomere — short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes. Telomeres are bound by a group of proteins to form a protective cap on the ends of chromosomes. Embryonic stem cells express telomerase — an enzyme that adds the telomeric...
01:26Aging
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
01:23Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells
After cellular or tissue damage, the resident stem cells present in the human body can locally repair and regenerate the damaged tissue or organ. However, even though some tissues do not have stem cells, they can repair and regenerate with the help of pre-existing cells. For example, beta cells of the pancreas and hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue. Here, both cell division and cell death are well regulated by homeostasis.
However, failure of such a system...
However, failure of such a system...