Senescence of skeletal stem cells and their contribution to age-related bone loss
Eva Maria Wölfel, Paula Fernández‐Guerra, Mikkel Ørnfeldt Nørgård, Shakespeare Jeromdesella, Pernille Kirkegaard Kjær, Anna Sofie Elkjaer, Moustapha Kassem, Florence Figeac
Abstract
Human aging is linked to bone loss, resulting in bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. This is primarily due to an age-related decline in the function of bone-forming osteoblastic cells and accelerated cellular senescence within the bone microenvironment. Here, we provide a detailed discussion of the hypothesis that age-related defective bone formation is caused by senescence of skeletal stem cells, as they are the main source of bone forming osteoblastic cells and influence the composition of bone microenvironment. Furthermore, this review discusses potential strategies to target cellular senescence as an emerging approach to treat age-related bone loss.