Rui Chen, Chan Mike K S, Skutella Thomas
Reproductive Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
European Wellness International, Edenkoben, Germany.
Subcell Biochem. 2024;107:117-128. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-66768-8_6.
A multifaceted biological process of ageing culminates in the gradual decline of tissue and organ functions, escalating vulnerability to age-related diseases. Stem cell therapies, standing at the frontier of regenerative medicine, hold the potential to mitigate the challenges induced by ageing. By harnessing the unique regenerative capabilities of stem cells, these therapies aim to renew and heal ageing or damaged cells and tissues, thereby bolstering their function. In this chapter, we explore the potential of stem cell-based interventions against age-related degeneration, emphasising their underlying mechanisms, challenges, and future possibilities. As elucidated by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, ageing is characterised by an accrual of macromolecular damage, genomic instability, and loss of heterochromatin (Campisi et al. Nature 571:183-192, 2019). These aspects culminate in stem cell fatigue and a dwindling tissue regenerative capacity. However, with the advent of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, we now hold the tools to reverse these age-induced changes by rejuvenating stem cells, the keystones of tissue regeneration, and fostering their proliferation and differentiation.
衰老这一复杂的生物学过程最终导致组织和器官功能逐渐衰退，使人对与年龄相关疾病的易感性不断增加。干细胞疗法处于再生医学前沿，有潜力缓解衰老引发的挑战。通过利用干细胞独特的再生能力，这些疗法旨在更新和修复衰老或受损的细胞及组织，从而增强其功能。在本章中，我们探讨基于干细胞的干预措施对抗与年龄相关退化的潜力，重点阐述其潜在机制、挑战及未来可能性。正如巴克衰老研究所在所阐明的，衰老的特征是大分子损伤的积累、基因组不稳定以及异染色质的丧失（坎皮西等人，《自然》571:183 - 192，2019年）。这些因素最终导致干细胞疲劳和组织再生能力下降。然而，随着干细胞疗法和再生医学的出现，我们现在拥有了通过使干细胞（组织再生的关键要素）恢复活力并促进其增殖和分化来逆转这些由年龄引起的变化的工具。
