Oxidative Stress-Mediated Stem Cell Aging

Abstract

Stem cells, which are a class of cells with self-renewal capacity and multipotency of differentiation, play a critical role in tissue maintenance and regeneration in the whole life span of multicellular organism. With the recent researches about stem cell, it is realized that the aging and depletion of stem cells are closely related to organ aging and the occurrence of aging-related diseases, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms of stem cell aging will be important for developing new therapies for aging-related diseases. There are many intrinsic and extrinsic factors promoting stem cell aging. Oxidative stress has been recognized as the major cause of stem cell aging. Oxidative stress is the result of an excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an impairment of the antioxidant defense systems. Excessive production of ROS and insufficient cellular antioxidant trigger a variety of aging-related pathways to induce stem cell senescence and aging. In this chapter, we summarized the biologic features of stem cell aging and discussed how oxidative stress affects stem cell aging and the main signal pathways of stem cell aging triggered by oxidative stress. We further explored how stem cells manage ROS accumulation and adapt to oxidative stress. Finally, we discussed the potential strategies against stem cell aging by controlling oxidative stress.