Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Donor age reflects the replicative lifespan of human fibroblasts in culture

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Human Cell Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Human fibroblasts, which have a finite lifespan in cultures, have been widely used as a model system for cellular aging, and frequently used as one model of human aging. But whether cellular aging contributes to organismal aging has been controversial. To reinvestigate this question, we cultured human fibroblasts from the skin of one individual volunteer collected at different ages. Over a period of 27 years (donor age 36 years to 62 years), we obtained skin cells four times at appropriate intervals, and established eight fibroblast lines. These human fibroblasts have presented evidence for a correlation between donor age and proliferative lifespan in vitro. This result parallels the fact that telomeric DNA size cultured fibroblasts decrease with the increase in donor age. These cell lines had a normal diploid human chromosome constitution and will be useful in studies of human biology including aging.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hayflick L. The limited in vitro lifetime of human diploid cell strains. Exp Cell Res 1965; 37: 614–36.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Martin GM, Sprague CA, Epstein CJ. Replicative life-span of cultivated human cells. Effects of donor’s age, tissue, and genotype. Lab Invest 1970; 23: 86–92.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Cristofalo VJ, Allen RG, Pignolo RJ et al. Relationship between donor age and the replicative lifespan of human cells in culture. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1998; 95: 10614–19.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Seabright M. The use of proteolytic enzymes for the mapping of structural rearrangements in the chromosomes of man. Chromosoma 1972; 36: 204–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Oexle K, Zwirner A, Freudenberg K et al. Examination of telomeric lengths in muscle tissue casts doubt on replicative aging as cause of progression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Pediatric Res 1997; 42: 226–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Yamamoto K, Kondo H, Ohashi M. A practical preservation method for human diploid fibroblasts in aging research. Exp Geront 1981; 16: 271–85.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology of Aging, Graduate School of Nutrient and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka, Japan

    Kazuhiko Kaji, Toshiro Ohta & Miho Hasegawa

  2. Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory, Graduate School of Nutrient and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka

    Nobuyuki Horie

  3. Research and Development Division, KOSE Corporation, Tokyo

    Eiji Naru

  4. Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan

    Naotoshi Kanda

Authors
  1. Kazuhiko Kaji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Toshiro Ohta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nobuyuki Horie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Eiji Naru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Miho Hasegawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Naotoshi Kanda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kazuhiko Kaji.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kaji, K., Ohta, T., Horie, N. et al. Donor age reflects the replicative lifespan of human fibroblasts in culture. Hum Cell 22, 38–42 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-0774.2009.00066.x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-0774.2009.00066.x

Key words

Search

Navigation