幹細胞,老化,そして不死の探求
1Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Stanford, California 94305, USA. rando@stanford.edu
Nature
|July 1, 2006
まとめ
大人の幹細胞は年齢とともに衰え,組織修復に影響を与えます. 幹細胞が本質的に老化しているか,または組織環境がそれらを損なうかどうかを理解することは,再生医療の治療法の鍵です.
科学分野:
- 幹細胞生物学 幹細胞生物学とは
- 老化に関する研究.
- 再生医学は再生医学である.
背景:
- 成人幹細胞は,組織ホメオスタシスと哺乳類の組織全体の修復に不可欠です.
- 組織再生の可能性は,年齢とともに著しく低下します.
- 年齢に関連する再生能力の低下の正確な原因は,まだ完全に理解されていません.
研究 の 目的:
- 再生能力の低下に対する内在的な幹細胞の老化と外在的な老化組織環境の貢献を調査する.
- 幹細胞の自律的老化と幹細胞の非自律的老化メカニズムを区別する.
- 効果的な再生医療戦略の開発に情報を提供すること.
主な方法:
- 若年対老年組織環境における幹細胞機能の比較分析.
- 本質的な幹細胞の老化マーカーの評価.
- 幹細胞の行動に影響を与える組織マイクロ環境の要因の評価.
主要な成果:
- 予備的な発見は,固有の幹細胞の老化と老化組織環境の複雑な相互作用を示唆しています.
- 年齢関連の幹細胞機能障害に関与する特定の分子経路が特定されています.
- 老化した組織環境は,幹細胞の機能を明らかに損なう.
結論:
- 固有の幹細胞の老化と環境の影響の区別は,年齢に関連する組織機能不全を理解するために重要です.
- 幹細胞そのもの,または老化している組織環境をターゲットにすることで,治療の道を開くことができます.
- この研究は,高齢化に関連した病気や傷害に対する再生医療の応用を促進するために不可欠です.
関連する概念動画
Mitochondria
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
Replicative 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...
Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...
Replicative 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...
Stem 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...
Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...


