Gender- and Age-Related Changes in the Spectrum of the Differentiation Potential of Individual Colonies of Stromal Precursors from Human Bone Marrow.

Bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stromal progenitors that give rise to almost all mature cells in the hematopoietic niche were studied. We analyzed the differentiation spectrum of individual colony-forming units of fibroblast (CFU-F) clones depending on the age and gender of the donor. Individual CFU-F clones (n = 292) were obtained from the BM samples of 19 donors (11 men, 8 women). The concentration of monopotent adipogenic precursors in the BM of men was significantly higher than that in the BM of women (15% ± 5% versus 4% ± 2%). Moreover, the concentration of monopotent adipogenic precursors in women's BM had a clear negative correlation with age (R = -0.74), while, in men, it did not (R = -0.05). Younger donors of both genders had a higher proportion of monopotent adipogenic precursors; the proportion of precursors unable to differentiate increased markedly with age. All types of precursors revealed age- and gender-associated changes in the expression level of several genes. Both age and gender should be taken into account in studies concerning human stromal cells' regenerative abilities. Alterations in the stromal precursors' spectrum may impact the cellular composition of the bone marrow stromal microenvironment and explain the changes occurring in the regenerative potential with age and gender.