Nutrient-sensing pathways in adult stem cells: Orchestrating homeostasis, aging, and disease.

Tianxiong Xiao, Zhiyao Xie, Lijun Yao, Ke Zhao, Yi Arial Zeng, Cheng Hu

Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Nutrient-sensing pathways, including mTOR, AMPK, Sirtuins, and insulin/IGF-1 signaling, are central regulators orchestrating adult stem cell (ASC) fate by dynamically modulating cellular metabolism. This review proposes a framework that integrates these pathways into a cohesive network that dictates the metabolic transitions between quiescence, activation, and differentiation in ASCs. Age-related dysregulation of this network leads to metabolic imbalance and stem cell exhaustion, underpinning tissue degeneration. Interventions such as mTOR inhibitors, AMPK activators, NAD

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Research summary

This review proposes a conceptual framework integrating nutrient-sensing pathways to explain how metabolic dysregulation drives stem cell exhaustion and tissue degeneration during aging. The paper is relevant because it addresses the root causes of aging by linking fundamental metabolic mechanisms to stem cell decline, a key hallmark of the aging process, rather than merely treating symptoms.

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