Repository logo
 

Stem Cells of the Aging Brain

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Nicaise, Alexandra M. 
Willis, Cory M. 
Crocker, Stephen J. 
Pluchino, Stefano 

Abstract

The adult central nervous system (CNS) contains resident stem cells within specific niches that maintain a self-renewal and proliferative capacity to generate new neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes throughout adulthood. Physiological aging is associated with a progressive loss of function and a decline in the self-renewal and regenerative capacities of CNS stem cells. Also, the biggest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases is age, and current in vivo and in vitro models of neurodegenerative diseases rarely consider this. Therefore, combining both aging research and appropriate interrogation of animal disease models towards the understanding of the disease and age-related stem cell failure is imperative to the discovery of new therapies. This review article will highlight the main intrinsic and extrinsic regulators of neural stem cell (NSC) aging and discuss how these factors impact normal homeostatic functions within the adult brain. We will consider established in vivo animal and in vitro human disease model systems, and then discuss the current and future trajectories of novel senotherapeutics that target aging NSCs to ameliorate brain disease.

Description

Keywords

Neuroscience, neural stem cells, aging, senescence, cell metabolism, mitochondria, disease modeling, senotherapeutics

Journal Title

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1663-4365

Volume Title

12

Publisher

Frontiers Media S.A.