Aging of intestinal stem cells and associated niche

Abstract Intestinal stem cells are responsible for the extremely rapid renewal of the entire epithelial lining. The maintenance of the critical absorptive function of the gut relies on the appropriate control of the stem cell pool by the local micro-environment or niche cells. Aging causes dramatic changes in the local regulation of stem cells and alters their function, resulting in absorptive defects and development of diseases. Mechanistically, aging induces both profound cellular and molecular intrinsic alterations of the stem cell pool and mediates aberrant behavior of their associated niche cells. Importantly, some of these identified changes can be therapeutically targeted, which offers the possibility to restore gut function in aging.