Epidermal stem cell compartment remains unaffected through aging in naked mole-rats.

Abstract

Skin represents an informative and convenient organ for the analysis of the aging process. Naked mole-rats (NMR) are subterranean rodents remarkable for their longevity, with unexplained resistance to skin aging. In middle-aged NMR, extensive in situ analysis indicated that skin compartments and cell types remained similar to young animals. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing, we found three classical cellular states defining a unique keratinocyte differentiation trajectory that did not appear to be altered during aging after pseudotemporal reconstruction. Finally, NMR skin healing closure was strictly comparable between the two age groups. These results indicate that the content in stem cell populations as well as the differentiation process are preserved during aging in NMR and that such properties are related to the healing process.