Young stem cells renew tissues constantly, but old stem cells can no-longer produce cells for the function of the tissue at the required rate. The resulting decline manifests as aging. Stem cells can fail at their regenerative task due the damage they have accumulated, or if they are misinformed of the tissue's needs by the neighboring cells. Our goal is to unravel whether stem cells have developed special mechanisms to reduce damage accumulation, and if the communication between stem cells and neighbors (niche) could provide points for intervention in aging related diseases.