Aging of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells: Implications on autologous regenerative medicine.

With their proliferation, differentiation into specific cell types, and secretion properties, mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) are very interesting tools to be used in regenerative medicine. Bone marrow (BM) was the first MSC source characterized. In the frame of autologous MSC therapy, it is important to detect donor's parameters affecting MSC potency. Age of the donors appears as one parameter that could greatly affect MSC properties. Moreover, in vitro cell expansion is needed to obtain the number of cells necessary for clinical developments. It will lead to in vitro cell aging that could modify cell properties. This review recapitulates several studies evaluating the effect of in vitro and in vivo MSC aging on cell properties.