Longevity & AgingHow Stem Cell Aging Works and What Scientists Are Doing to Reverse It
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are among the most promising tools in regenerative medicine, but they age—both in elderly donors and during lab expansion. This 2025 review catalogs how senescent MSCs change morphologically, biochemically, and functionally, including flattened cell shapes, elevated SA-β-gal activity, SASP secretion, reduced migration, and skewed differentiation. Key senescence pathways include p53/p21, p16/Rb, mTOR, and NF-κB. The review also surveys rejuvenation strategies such as genetic reprogramming, pharmacological senolytics, hypoxic preconditioning, and extracellular vesicle-based approaches—all aimed at producing youthful, high-quality MSCs for clinical use.
