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Epigenetic regulation of mesenchymal stem cell aging through histone modifications
Yanping Sun1, Haoyu Zhang1, Tao Qiu1
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Pediatrics & Engineering Research Center of Oral Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
Abstract:
Stem cell senescence and exhaustion, a hallmark of aging, lead to declines in tissue repair and regeneration in aged individuals. Emerging evidence has revealed that epigenetic regulation plays critical roles in the self-renew, lineage-commitment, survival, and function of stem cells. Moreover, epigenetic alterations are considered important drivers of stem cell dysfunction during aging. In this review, we focused on current knowledge of the histone modifications in the aging of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The aberrant epigenetic modifications on histones, including methylation and acetylation, have been found in aging MSCs. By disturbing the expression of specific genes, these epigenetic modifications affect the self-renew, survival, and differentiation of MSCs. A set of epigenetic enzymes that write or erase these modifications are critical in regulating the aging of MSCs. Furthermore, we discussed the rejuvenation strategies based on epigenetics to prevent stem cell aging and/or rejuvenate senescent MSCs.
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