Declining levels of the protein BubR1 occur when both people
and animals age, and contribute to cell senescence or deterioration, weight
loss, muscle wasting and cataracts. Mayo Clinic researchers have shown that
adult progenitor or stem cells — important for repair and regeneration of
skeletal muscle and maintenance of healthy fat tissue — are subject to cellular
senescence, and that clearance of these cells limits age-related deterioration
of these tissues. The findings appear today online in the journal Cell Reports.