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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Naïve Adult Stem Cells Isolation from Primary Human Fibroblast Cultures
Published on: May 3, 2013
Age-dependent depletion of human skin-derived progenitor cells
Nuria Gago1, Virginia Pérez-López, Juan Pablo Sanz-Jaka
1Rare Disease Program, Skin Regeneration Laboratory, Fundación Inbiomed, Paseo Mikeletegi 61, San Sebastián, Spain.
Abstract:
A major unanswered question in autologous cell therapy is the appropriate timing for cell isolation. Many of the putative target diseases arise with old age and previous evidence, mainly from animal models, suggests that the stem/progenitor cell pool decreases steadily with age. Studies with human cells have been generally hampered to date by poor sample availability. In recent years, several laboratories have reported on the existence, both in rodents and humans, of skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells with the capacity to generate neural and mesodermal progenies. This easily obtainable multipotent cell population has raised expectations for their potential use in cell therapy of neurodegeneration. However, we still lack a clear understanding of the spatiotemporal abundance and phenotype of human SKPs. Here we show an analysis of human SKP abundance and in vitro differentiation potential, by using SKPs isolated from four distinct anatomic sites (abdomen, breast, foreskin, and scalp) from 102 healthy subjects aged 8 months to 85 years. Human SKP abundance and differentiation potential decrease sharply with age, being extremely difficult to isolate, expand, and differentiate when obtained from the elderly. Our data suggest preserving human SKP cell banks early in life would be desirable for use in clinical protocols in the aging population.
Insights
Human skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells decline with age, impacting their use in cell therapy. Preserving SKP cell banks early in life is recommended for future clinical applications in aging populations.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Autologous cell therapy faces challenges regarding optimal cell isolation timing, especially for age-related diseases.
- Skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells, a multipotent population, show promise for neurodegenerative disease cell therapy.
- Limited understanding of human SKP abundance and phenotype across different ages hinders therapeutic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the abundance and in vitro differentiation potential of human SKPs across a wide age range.
- To investigate the impact of age and anatomical site on human SKP characteristics.
- To inform the optimal strategy for utilizing SKPs in future cell-based therapies.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and characterization of SKPs from four distinct anatomical sites (abdomen, breast, foreskin, scalp).
- Analysis of SKPs from 102 healthy individuals aged 8 months to 85 years.
- Assessment of in vitro differentiation capacity of isolated SKPs.
Main Results:
- Human SKP abundance and differentiation potential significantly decrease with advancing age.
- SKPs isolated from elderly individuals were difficult to isolate, expand, and differentiate.
- Age-dependent decline in SKP characteristics was observed across all tested anatomical sites.
Conclusions:
- Human SKP abundance and function diminish sharply with age.
- Early-life preservation of human SKP cell banks is advisable for future therapeutic use.
- This finding is crucial for developing effective cell therapies for age-related conditions.
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