While modern-day snake-oil salesmen pitch products promising to combat the effects of aging and keep skin looking young in infomercials, researchers from Newcastle University in the UK have identified activity in human skin cells that could actually deliver on such promises.
In a study published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Mark Birch-Machin, a Professor of Molecular Dermatology at Newcastle University, and his colleagues explained that they had identified that a key metabolic enzyme in skin cells becomes less active with age.
Known as mitochondrial complex II, this enzyme is found in the so-called batteries of the cells and plays a key role in keeping skin smooth and supple, the researchers explained. The discovery could lead to the development of effective anti-aging treatments and cosmetics which counteract the decline in the enzyme’s activity level.
“As our bodies age we see that the batteries in our cells run down, known as decreased bio-energy, and harmful free radicals increase. This process is easily seen in our skin as increased fine lines, wrinkles and sagging appears,” Professor Birch-Machin said in a statement.
“Our study shows, for the first time, in human skin that with increasing age there is a specific decrease in the activity of a key metabolic enzyme found in the batteries of the skin cells,” he added. “This enzyme is the hinge between the two important ways of making energy in our cells and a decrease in its activity contributes to decreased bio-energy in ageing skin.”
Discovery could lead to products that can keep skin looking young
Professor Birch-Machin, who co-led the research with Dr. Amy Bowman from his research team at the university, said that the work marks the first time that a biomarker that could be a target for anti-aging treatments has been identified and that it could lead to specialized cosmetics or creams tailored to different ages or types of skin pigmentation.
In addition, it could lead to a better understanding of how other cells and organs in the body age, potentially leading to the development of new therapies for age-related diseases, Professor Birch-Machin said. The research could “address the ageing process elsewhere in our bodies,” he added.
The study authors measured complex II activity in 27 donors between the ages of six and 72. In each case, a sample was collected from an area of sun-protected skin, and a variety of techniques were used to measure the activity of enzymes in the mitochondria, which helps provide energy to the skin cell. Both the upper (epidermis) and lower (dermis) levels of skin were studied.
They observed a significant age-related decline in complex II activity per unit of mitochondria in cells derived from the dermis, and discovered that this was due to a decreased amount in enzyme protein. As such, the decrease was only observed in those cells that had stopped proliferating, the researchers said. Further research will be needed to fully understand how this affects the skin and to search for ways that this could be used to combat aging in human skin.
“It has long been thought that mitochondria play an important role in the aging process, however the exact role has remained unclear,” Dr. Bowman said. “Our work brings us one step closer to understanding how these vital cell structures may be contributing to human aging, with the hope of eventually specifically targeting areas of the mitochondria in an attempt to counteract the signs of aging.”
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Image credit: Professor Mark Birch-Machin
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