Why Do Stem Cells Age and Lose Their Regenerative Potential?
As global life expectancy increases, a longer life brings new opportunities—but these depend heavily on one essential factor: health. Stem cells play a critical role in maintaining healthy tissues by replacing worn or damaged cells. However, as stem cells age, their regenerative function declines, contributing to age-related disorders and impairing tissue maintenance.Understanding the molecular mechanisms of stem cell ageing is vital, not only for advancing our knowledge of the pathophysiology of ageing, but also for developing future stem cell-based therapies to treat ageing-associated disorders. Our research focuses on skeletal muscle stem cells, exploring how ageing impacts their molecular pathways and affects their ability to regenerate muscle tissue.
To achieve this, we utilise state-of-the-art phosphoproteomics and redox-proteomics technologies, which now offer unprecedented sensitivity. These advanced techniques allow us, for the first time, to analyse very small populations of isolated stem cells, providing detailed insights into the intricate molecular processes underlying stem cell ageing.