The changing epigenetic landscape of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells during aging

There is mounting evidence in the literature that mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC) like populations derived from different tissues, undergo epigenetic changes during aging, leading to compromised connective tissue integrity and function. This body of work has linked the biological aging of MSC to changes in their epigenetic signatures affecting growth, lifespan, self-renewal and multi-potential, due to deregulation of processes such as cellular senescence, oxidative stress, DNA damage, telomere shortening and DNA damage. This review addresses recent findings examining DNA methylation, histone modifications and miRNA changes in aging MSC populations. Moreover, we explore how epigenetic factors alter cellular pathways and associated biological networks, contributing to the MSC aging phenotype. Finally we discuss the crucial areas requiring a greater understanding of these processes, in order to piece together a global picture of the changing epigenetic landscape in MSC during aging.