Reviewing What is Known of the Aging of Stem Cells

One of the important contributions to the aging process is a progressive reduction in stem cell activity. The majority of tissues in the body are in a constant process of turnover. The somatic cells making up the bulk of all tissues reach the Hayflick limit on replication and self-destruct, and are replaced by new cells generated by tissue-specific stem cell populations. With age, these stem cells spend ever more time quiescent, and thus the supply of new somatic cells declines, causing tissues and organs to deteriorate and ultimately fail. This loss of stem cell support is thought to have evolved as part of a balance between risk of death by cancer versus risk of death through failing tissues. As cells become more damaged with age, the risk of cancer with cell activity increases. Lower cells of stem cell activity dampen that risk somewhat, at the cost of a slower decline into frailty and disease. Still, restoration of youthful stem cell activity is one necessary component of any future toolkit of rejuvenation therapies. To the degree that this raises cancer risk, that is an additional challenge to overcome along the way, not a reason to stand back and do nothing. Aging is an unavoidable physiological consequence of the living animals. Mammalian aging is mediated by the complex cellular and organismal processes, driven by diverse acquired and genetic factors. Aging is among the greatest known risk factors for most human diseases, and of roughly 150,000 people who die...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs