Immune Disease Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and the Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. rossi@idi.harvard.edu
The aging of tissue-specific stem cell and progenitor cell compartments is believed to be central to the decline of tissue and organ integrity and function in the elderly. Here, we examine evidence linking stem cell dysfunction to the pathophysiological conditions accompanying aging, focusing on the mechanisms underlying stem cell decline and their contribution to disease pathogenesis.