Longitudinal data on telomere length in leukocytes from newborn baboons support a marked drop in stem cell turnover around 1 year of age

Baerlocher, Gabriela M; Rice, Karen; Vulto, Irma; Lansdorp, Peter M (2007). Longitudinal data on telomere length in leukocytes from newborn baboons support a marked drop in stem cell turnover around 1 year of age. Aging cell, 6(1), pp. 121-3. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing 10.1111/j.1474-9726.2006.00254.x

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Stem cells of various tissues are typically defined as multipotent cells with 'self-renewal' properties. Despite the increasing interest in stem cells, surprisingly little is known about the number of times stem cells can or do divide over a lifetime. Based on telomere-length measurements of hematopoietic cells, we previously proposed that the self-renewal capacity of hematopoietic stem cells is limited by progressive telomere attrition and that such cells divide very rapidly during the first year of life. Recent studies of patients with aplastic anemia resulting from inherited mutations in telomerase genes support the notion that the replicative potential of hematopoietic stem cells is directly related to telomere length, which is indirectly related to telomerase levels. To revisit conclusions about stem cell turnover based on cross-sectional studies of telomere length, we performed a longitudinal study of telomere length in leukocytes from newborn baboons. All four individual animals studied showed a rapid decline in telomere length (approximately 2-3 kb) in granulocytes and lymphocytes in the first year after birth. After 50-70 weeks the telomere length appeared to stabilize in all cell types. These observations suggest that hematopoietic stem cells, after an initial phase of rapid expansion, switch at around 1 year of age to a different functional mode characterized by a markedly decreased turnover rate.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Haematology, Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Medicine and Hospital Pharmacy (DOLS) > Clinic of Haematology and Central Haematological Laboratory
UniBE Contributor:	Baerlocher, Gabriela M.
ISSN:	1474-9718
ISBN:	17156085
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:54
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:16
Publisher DOI:	10.1111/j.1474-9726.2006.00254.x
PubMed ID:	17156085
Web of Science ID:	000243633700012
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/22894 (FactScience: 37607)