Abstract
Background aims. Age-related changes that could affect the biologic features of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), such as a decrease in proliferation and osteoblast differentiation capacity and an increase of senescence markers and apoptosis, have been reported recently. The aim of this study was the evaluation of age-related characteristics and the correlation of age with the functional properties of MSC. Methods. The doubling time (DT), colony-forming unit–fibroblast (CFU-F) colonies and surface antigen expression of MSC isolated from bone marrow (BM) of children (C-MSC) were compared with those from adults (A-MSC). The expression of Oct-4 and Nanog transcripts and the relative telomere length were evaluated in both groups. Results. DT values were lower in C-MSC compared with A-MSC, and a higher CFU-F count was observed in children. However, the expression of Oct-4 and Nanog did not differ between C-MSC and A-MSC and was not correlated with the proliferative capacity. The telomere length was significantly higher in C-MSC compared with A-MSC. Conclusions. These data suggest that children's BM-derived MSC could be a more advantageous source of these cells for tissue engineering and cell therapy.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dr Gabriella Tanasie, Associate Professor at the Department of Physiology and Immunology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Victor Babes Timisoara, for providing cells from adult donors.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.