Niche stiffness underlies the ageing of central nervous system progenitor cells.

ABSTRACT: Ageing causes a decline in tissue regeneration owing to a loss of function of adult stem cell and progenitor cell populations¹. One example is the deterioration of the regenerative capacity of the widespread and abundant population of central nervous system (CNS) multipotent stem cells known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs)². A relatively overlooked potential source of this loss of function is the stem cell 'niche'-a set of cell-extrinsic cues that include chemical and mechanical signals^3,4. Here we show that the OPC microenvironment stiffens with age, and that this mechanical change is sufficient to cause age-related loss of function of OPCs. Using biological and synthetic scaffolds to mimic the stiffness of young brains, we find that isolated ag

SUBMITTER: Segel M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7025879 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature