Does functional depletion of stem cells drive aging?

The regenerative power of stem cells has raised issues about their relation to aging. We focus on the question of whether a decline in the function of stem cells may itself be a significant feature of aging. The question is implicitly two-fold: does functional depletion of stem cells affect the accu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mechanisms of ageing and development 2001-09, Vol.122 (14), p.1537-1553
Main Authors: Schlessinger, David, Van Zant, Gary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aging - physiology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Development. Metamorphosis. Moult. Ageing
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Germ Cells - physiology
Hematopoiesis
Hematopoietic Stem Cells - physiology
Humans
Immortal cells
Lifespan
Menopause - physiology
Ovarian Follicle - physiology
Ovarian follicles
Stem Cells - cytology
Stem Cells - physiology
Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The regenerative power of stem cells has raised issues about their relation to aging. We focus on the question of whether a decline in the function of stem cells may itself be a significant feature of aging. The question is implicitly two-fold: does functional depletion of stem cells affect the accumulation of aging-related deficits, and -- whether or not depletion is significant -- can activation of stem cells alleviate deficits? Two types of system are considered: 1) the exhaustible pool of ovarian follicles. The depletion of follicles leads to the aging-related phenomenon of menopause; and 2) the reserve of hematopoietic stem cells. Substantial numbers are sustained throughout life, but in mouse models, endogenous replicative activity has been shown to decline sharply with age. We discuss the possible implications of these observations for the rate of aging and the prospects for intervention.
ISSN:0047-6374
1872-6216
DOI:10.1016/S0047-6374(01)00299-8