Bone marrow stem cells, the source of immune cells, lose their mojo over time. Can research help them go an extra mile?
Ah, the aging process. Over time, cells lose the spring in their step, and tissues and organs aren't maintained the way we like them to be. The same holds true for our bone marrow stem cells. Long-lived cells of this type decline in their ability to generate the cell types that derive from them, including immune cells, which raises the risk of infections for elderly patients.
Researchers find that caloric restriction during aging increases stem cells longevity and repopulation capacity.
So what happens when people reduce their caloric intake? Their weight drops for sure. But their stem cells also start behaving differently. Although this may be beneficial for stem cells function, it is not necessarily the best outcome for our overall immune health.
Pluripotent stem cells offer a new prototype for Age Related Macular Degeneration modeling and therapies.
Forced expression of a single transcription factor, FOXN1, can regenerate an aged thymus, leading to normal production and differentiation of T cells.
T lymphocytes, as a component of the immune system, play a vital role in defending our body against intracellular pathogens, such as viruses, intracellular bacteria or parasites. In a previous blog we mentioned that cellular functions can abate with aging and cause the marked reduction in immune system responsiveness. These changes have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly population from infectious diseases[1].