Aging is considered an irreversible biological process and also a major risk factor for a spectrum of geriatricdiseases. Advanced age-related decline in physiological functions, such as neurodegeneration, development ...Aging is considered an irreversible biological process and also a major risk factor for a spectrum of geriatricdiseases. Advanced age-related decline in physiological functions, such as neurodegeneration, development ofcardiovascular disease, endocrine and metabolic dysfunction, and neoplastic transformation, has become thefocus in aging research. Natural aging is not regarded as a programmed process. However, accelerated agingdue to inherited genetic defects in patients of progeria is programmed and resembles many aspects ofnatural aging. Among several premature aging syndromes, Werner syndrome (WS) and Hutchinson–Gilfordprogeria syndrome (HGPS) are two broadly investigated diseases. In this review, we discuss how stem cellaging in WS helps us understand the biology of aging. We also discuss briefly how the altered epigeneticlandscape in aged cells can be reversed to a “juvenile” state. Lastly, we explore the potential application ofthe latest genomic editing technique for stem cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine in the context of aging.展开更多
基金This work was partly supported by the Lo Kwee-Seong Biomedical Research Fund and the Chinese University of Hong Kong(CUHK)Vice Chancellor(VC)Discretionary Fund.
文摘Aging is considered an irreversible biological process and also a major risk factor for a spectrum of geriatricdiseases. Advanced age-related decline in physiological functions, such as neurodegeneration, development ofcardiovascular disease, endocrine and metabolic dysfunction, and neoplastic transformation, has become thefocus in aging research. Natural aging is not regarded as a programmed process. However, accelerated agingdue to inherited genetic defects in patients of progeria is programmed and resembles many aspects ofnatural aging. Among several premature aging syndromes, Werner syndrome (WS) and Hutchinson–Gilfordprogeria syndrome (HGPS) are two broadly investigated diseases. In this review, we discuss how stem cellaging in WS helps us understand the biology of aging. We also discuss briefly how the altered epigeneticlandscape in aged cells can be reversed to a “juvenile” state. Lastly, we explore the potential application ofthe latest genomic editing technique for stem cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine in the context of aging.
