Autophagic control of cell 'stemness'

Huize Pan, Ning Cai, Mo Li, Guang Hui Liu*, Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

128 Scopus citations

Abstract

Stem cells have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types. Both cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors may contribute to aging-related decline in stem cell function and loss of stemness. The maintenance of cellular homeostasis requires timely removal of toxic proteins and damaged organelles that accumulate with age or in pathological conditions. Autophagy is one of the main strategies to eliminate unwanted cytoplasmic materials thereby ultimately preventing cellular damage. Here, we shall discuss the accumulating evidence suggesting that autophagy plays a critical role in the homeostatic control of stem cell functions during aging, tissue regeneration, and cellular reprogramming.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)327-331
Number of pages5
JournalEMBO Molecular Medicine
Volume5
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Autophagy
  • Cellular reprogramming
  • IPSC
  • Stem cells
  • Stemness

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine

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