Language
English
Publication Date
2-1-2025
Journal
Journal of Cellular Physiology
DOI
10.1002/jcp.70016
PMID
39987523
PMCID
PMC13151180
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-8-2026
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
Abstract
Impaired healing of adult tendons with fibrosis remains clinical challenges while neonatal tendons have full functional restoration. However, age-associated cellular and molecular changes in tendon cells and tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) remain unknown. Here, comparative single cell transcriptomics of early postnatal (2 weeks old) and adult (20 weeks old) mouse tendons revealed that adult tendons have reduced number of TSPCs, decreased gene expression in tendon and cartilage development, and a greater population of fibro-tenogenic cells. Notably, adult TSPCs and tenocytes exhibit increased expression of immune-response and oxidative-stress genes with higher EGFR but decreased IGF signaling. Adult tendon cells show increased levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo. In contrast, antioxidant treatment of adult tendons significantly reduces intracellular ROS of TSPCs and improves tendon strength in vivo. Hence, these findings suggest that increased inflammation and ROS during tendon aging deteriorates tendon function and regeneration that can be mitigated by antioxidant treatment.
Keywords
Animals, Oxidative Stress, Antioxidants, Tendons, Stem Cells, Mice, Reactive Oxygen Species, Aging, Single-Cell Analysis, Regeneration, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Tenocytes, Male, Transcriptome
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Jeong, Youngjae; Yang, Dongwook; Solidum, Jea Giezl; et al., "Comparative Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Tendon Progenitor Dysfunction by Age-Associated Oxidative Stress and Its Restoration by Antioxidant Treatments" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 7158.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/7158