Mesenchymal stem cell aging

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from various sources such as bone marrow or fat have been expanded in culture and differentiated in vitro into several lineages such as adipocytes, osteocytes or chondrocytes. In particular, aged human MSC show a decline in differentiation potential as well as in proliferation rate. The latter most likely reflects the fact that aged MSC suffer from eroded telomeres. Besides the individual age of the cell, stem and progenitor cell functions are influenced by the cellular environment, i.e. the niche and the architecture of the tissue, they reside in. This contribution reviews current knowledge about MSC aging (in vitro or in vivo), and respective difficulties for tissue engineering and stem cell therapy.