Rejuvenation of Senescent Cells, In Vitro and In Vivo, by Low-Frequency Ultrasound.

The presence of senescent cells causes age-related pathologies since their removal by genetic or pharmacological means, as well as possibly by exercise, improves outcomes in animal models. An alternative to depleting such cells would be to rejuvenate them to promote their return to a replicative state. Here we report that treatment of non-growing senescent cells with low-frequency ultrasound (LFU) rejuvenates the cells for growth.

Recent Advancement in Elimination Strategies and Potential Rejuvenation Targets of Senescence.

Cellular senescence is a state of exiting the cell cycle, resisting apoptosis, and changing phenotype. Senescent cells (SCs) can be identified by large, distorted morphology and irreversible inability to replicate. In early development, senescence has beneficial roles like tissue patterning and wound healing, where SCs are cleared by the immune system.

Soft substrate maintains proliferative and adipogenic differentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells on long-term expansion by delaying senescence.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), during expansion, gradually lose their distinct spindle morphology, self-renewal ability, multi-lineage differentiation potential and enter replicative senescence. This loss of cellular function is a major roadblock for clinical applications which demand cells in large numbers. Here, we demonstrate a novel role of substrate stiffness in the maintenance of hMSCs over long-term expansion.