Trends Mol Med. 2016 Jun 7. pii: S1471-4914(16)30045-4. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2016.05.010. [Epub ahead of print]

iPSCs: On the Road to Reprogramming Aging.

Soria-Valles C¹, López-Otín C².

Abstract

Aging is characterized by irreversible loss of physiological integrity, often accompanied by an organism's loss of function and increased vulnerability to death. Defects in the mechanisms preserving cellular homeostasis over time may give rise to accelerated aging. Somatic cell reprogramming of aged cells can be associated with rejuvenation, erasing certain age-associated features, and illustrating the reversibility potential of aging. Here, we focus on recent advances in the generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells from progeroid syndromes and late-onset diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. These cellular models have contributed to a better understanding of such pathologies, as well as to the development of novel therapeutic approaches. We also discuss different strategies to identify and target age-associated reprogramming barriers to facilitate the treatment of age-related disorders.