Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Three-Dimensional, Serum-Free Culture System for Lacrimal Gland Stem Cells
07:49

Three-Dimensional, Serum-Free Culture System for Lacrimal Gland Stem Cells

Published on: June 2, 2022

TAp63: The fountain of youth

Xiaohua Su1, Elsa R Flores

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Aging
|February 17, 2010
PubMed

Insights

The TAp63 gene is crucial for preventing premature aging by maintaining skin stem cells. Its absence leads to rapid aging signs in young mice, impacting longevity and regenerative medicine.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Organismal aging mechanisms remain incompletely understood.
  • The p53 family of proteins plays roles in cellular stress responses and development.
  • Stem and precursor cells are vital for tissue maintenance and repair.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of TAp63, a p53 family member, in organismal aging.
  • To determine how TAp63 influences the behavior of dermal and epidermal stem cells.
  • To explore the implications of TAp63 function in aging, regeneration, and cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of TAp63 function in mouse models.
  • Assessment of dermal stem cell (skin-derived precursors or SKPs) proliferation and senescence.
  • Evaluation of DNA damage and genomic instability in aging cells.

Main Results:

  • TAp63 deficiency accelerates organismal aging in mice.
  • Absence of TAp63 leads to hyperproliferation and premature aging of SKPs and epidermal precursor cells.
  • TAp63-deficient cells show increased senescence, DNA damage, and genomic instability, resulting in cell exhaustion.

Conclusions:

  • TAp63 is a critical regulator of organismal aging, primarily by maintaining the integrity and function of skin stem and precursor cells.
  • Dysregulation of TAp63 contributes to premature aging phenotypes and cellular exhaustion.
  • These findings have significant implications for understanding longevity, advancing regenerative medicine, and addressing tumorigenesis.

Keywords:
TAp63aginggenomic instabilitystem cells

More Related Videos

Using Microfluidic Devices to Measure Lifespan and Cellular Phenotypes in Single Budding Yeast Cells09:18

Using Microfluidic Devices to Measure Lifespan and Cellular Phenotypes in Single Budding Yeast Cells

Published on: March 30, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Whole Body Regeneration01:33

Whole Body Regeneration

Regeneration is the process of restoring injured or lost tissues, organs, or body parts. While simpler organisms generally show greater ability to regenerate their whole body, few complex animals show similarly exceptional regeneration. For example, planarian flatworms have a unique regenerative potential making them a popular study organism among biologists to understand the mechanisms of whole body regeneration. Other organisms, such as hydra, also show extreme regeneration potential; even...
The Effect of Aging on Tissues01:19

The Effect of Aging on Tissues

Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
Liver Regeneration01:24

Liver Regeneration

The liver is an important organ in vertebrates that plays an essential role in metabolism. It is also responsible for storing and redistributing nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins in the body. Additionally, the liver releases bile salts which are critical for digesting food and eliminating toxic metabolites from the body.
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...
Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells01:23

Tissue 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...
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells01:12

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular cells,...
Aging01:26

Aging

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...