Older stem cells don’t just wear out, they actively shut themselves down

Source: University of Michigan
Posted: September 6, 2006

Summary:

The natural consequences of growing old include slower wound-healing and a brain that makes fewer new neurons because old tissues have less regenerative capacity. What has not been clear is why. A trio of papers published on-line Sept. 6 in the journal Nature shows that old stem cells don’t simply wear out, they actively shut themselves down, probably as a defense against becoming cancerous from genetic defects that accumulate with age.

Commentary: This discovery might provide scientists with new insights into age-related diseases and conditions and enable them to develop effective treatments.