Ageing is accompanied by loss of tissue integrity and organismal homeostasis partly due to decline in stem cell function. The age-associated decrease in stem cell abundance and activity is often referred to as stem cell exhaustion and is considered one major hallmark of ageing. Importantly, stem cell proliferation and differentiation potential are tightly coupled to the cellular epigenetic state. Thus, research during the last years has started to investigate how the epigenome regulates stem cell function upon ageing. Here, we summarize the role of epigenetic regulation in stem cell fate decisions and we review the impact of age-related changes of the epigenome on stem cell activity. Finally, we discuss how targeted interventions on the epigenetic landscape might delay ageing and extend health-span.

中文翻译：

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干细胞衰老的表观遗传改变——年龄逆转干预的一个有希望的目标？


衰老伴随着组织完整性和机体稳态的丧失，部分原因是干细胞功能下降。与年龄相关的干细胞丰度和活性下降通常被称为干细胞耗竭，被认为是衰老的主要标志之一。重要的是，干细胞增殖和分化潜力与细胞表观遗传状态紧密耦合。因此，过去几年的研究已经开始研究表观基因组如何在衰老时调节干细胞功能。在这里，我们总结了表观遗传调控在干细胞命运决定中的作用，并回顾了与年龄相关的表观基因组变化对干细胞活性的影响。最后，我们讨论了对表观遗传景观的有针对性的干预措施如何延缓衰老并延长健康寿命。