Age effect on mesenchymal stem cell properties: a concise review

Mesenchymal stem cells belong to one of the multipotent stem cell types isolated from almost all tissues in the human body. They function to maintain tissue homeostasis with their highly proliferative property, and they also possess immunomodulatory properties. The properties of mesenchymal stem cells can be influenced by multiple factors, among which donor ages have been indicated negatively correlated with the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Telomerase activity, telomere length, and cell senescence have been studied to understand the mechanisms of the age effect on mesenchymal stem cell properties. Rejuvenation treatments are the critical research direction to attenuate the deterioration of mesenchymal stem cell properties by the age effect. This review article summarized the updated research on the impact and mechanisms of aging and age-related factors on different mesenchymal stem cell properties. In addition, the treatments to rejuvenate the aged mesenchymal stem cells will also be discussed. This review article aims to enlighten scientific researchers in better preparing and nursing the autologous mesenchymal stem cells from the elderly for future applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, aging, proliferation, migration, differentiation