Do all oligodendrogenic stem cells age at the same rate?

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In the brain the fibres of nerve cells are protected by insulating sheaths called myelin. Myelin is made by a specialized cell called an oligodendrocyte. During ageing, brain myelin is lost without being replaced contributing to age-related decline in brain function. In addition, the ability of the tissue to cope with diseases in which myelin is lost (such as in multiple sclerosis) is especially compromised in the elderly. Two main types of adult brain stem cells are responsible for making new oligodendrocytes and restoring myelin throughout life. One is widely distributed throughout the CNS (parenchymal stem cells) while the other is confined to a specific region deep within the brain (niche stem cells). Parenchymal stem cells are born during infancy and previous research has shown that are adversely affected by age. In contrast, niche stem cells are constantly born, even in the aged brain. This suggests that the adverse effects of age will have a greater impact in parenchymal versus niche stem cells. In this project we will conduct a series of experiments to address this fundamental question, establish why the machinery of myelin maintenance and regeneration becomes less efficient with ageing and provide pointers to how to alleviate the effects of ageing on brain function.