Lin Jiang, and Yigang Wang
Advanced age remains the greatest known risk factor for human diseases. According to a National Institute on Aging report, it is anticipated that people aged 65 or older will number nearly 1.5 billion by 2050, representing 16% of the world’s population and a dramatic increase in the economic burden of providing care to patients with senile chronic diseases. Recent evidence strongly supports the current hypotheses that age-induced deterioration of tissue stem cells play an important role in initiation of several aging-associated disorders including heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.