Published on: Nov 24, 2025
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have uncovered a way to reverse aging in blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic stem cells — HSCs) in mice by correcting dysfunction inside their lysosomes. The findings, published in Cell Stem Cell, identify lysosomal hyperactivation and degradation defects as core drivers of stem cell aging. Restoring normal lysosomal function successfully rejuvenated aged HSCs and boosted their regenerative capacity.
Lysosomes act as the cell’s recycling centers, breaking down biological waste and releasing nutrients back for reuse. The study shows that in aging HSCs, these organelles become overly acidic, depleted, damaged, and excessively active — disrupting metabolism and epigenetic stability.
Led by Saghi Ghaffari, MD, PhD, Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Mount Sinai, the team used single-cell transcriptomics and functional tests to show that inhibiting lysosomal hyperactivation with a specific vacuolar ATPase blocker restored lysosomal integrity and reversed cellular aging. After treatment, old stem cells behaved like young ones — they renewed more effectively, regenerated blood and immune cells in a balanced manner, improved mitochondrial and metabolic function, reduced inflammation, and stopped sending inflammatory signals.
One of the most striking observations: ex vivo treatment of old stem cells with the inhibitor increased their blood-forming ability eightfold when returned to the body, demonstrating that aging in blood stem cells is reversible.
The research also revealed that correcting lysosomal function reduces activation of the cGAS-STING immune pathway, a major inflammation and aging driver, by improving processing of mitochondrial DNA.
This breakthrough opens a novel therapeutic path to prevent or reverse age-related blood disorders, improve stem cell transplantation outcomes in older adults, and potentially slow broader aging processes. Dr. Ghaffari’s group is now investigating the possibility that lysosomal dysfunction in aging stem cells contributes to the emergence of leukemic stem cells, potentially linking normal aging to cancer development.
Back to News
Empowering Innovation Through Global Conferences and Events.
© 2025 SciInov. All Rights Reserved.