# Quiescence modulates age-related changes in the functional capacity of highly proliferative canine lung mesenchymal stromal cell populations

## TL;DR

Older dogs' lung cells show reduced growth but not other age-related issues, suggesting a reversible pause in cell activity.

## Contribution

The study identifies quiescence, not senescence, as the cause of reduced cell growth in aging canine lung cells.

## Key findings

- Canine lung mesenchymal stromal cells show reduced proliferative capacity with age.
- Other age-related functional changes like autophagy and migration are not significantly affected.
- Transcriptomic data suggest minimal age-related changes, pointing to quiescence rather than senescence.

## Abstract

The functional capacity of highly proliferative cell populations changes with age. Here, we report that the proliferative capacity of canine lung mesenchymal stromal cells (LMSCs) declines with increasing age of the donor. However, other functional changes such as reduced autophagy, reduced migration/wound healing, increased production of reactive oxygen species, and increased senescence are not significantly altered with increasing age. Furthermore, transcriptomic profiling suggests minimal age-related changes. These data suggest that the reduced proliferative capacity of lung LMSCs isolated from aging donors may be associated with reversible cell cycle arrest (quiescence), rather than irreversible cell cycle arrest (senescence). Similar findings have been reported in other systems, including neural and muscle stem cells that are associated with low turnover-rate tissues.