The IL-17 protein plays a key role in skin aging

Date:
June 8, 2023
Source:
Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)
Summary:
A team of scientists has discovered that IL-17 protein plays a
central role in skin aging. The study highlights an IL-17-mediated
ageing process to an inflammatory state.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A team of scientists from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine
(IRB Barcelona) in collaboration with the National Center for Genomic
Analysis (CNAG) has discovered that IL-17 protein plays a central role
in skin ageing.

The study, which was led by Dr. Guiomar Solanas, Dr. Salvador Aznar
Benitah, both at IRB Barcelona, and Dr. Holger Heyn, at CNAG, highlights
an IL-17- mediated ageing process to an inflammatory state.

Skin ageing is characterised by a series of structural and functional
changes that gradually contribute to the deterioration and fragility
associated with age. Aged skin has a reduced capacity to regenerate,
poor healing ability, and diminished barrier function.

Published in the journalNature Aging, this work describes the changes
undergone by different types of cells with ageing and identifies how
some immune cells in the skin express high levels of IL-17.

"Our results show that IL-17 is involved in various functions related
to ageing. We have observed that blocking the function of this protein
slows down the appearance of various deficiencies associated with ageing
skin. This discovery opens up new possibilities for treating some of
the symptoms or facilitating skin recovery after surgery, for example," explains Dr. Aznar Benitah, ICREA researcher and head of the Stem Cells
and Cancer laboratory at IRB Barcelona.

"Single cell sequencing has allowed us to dive deep into the complexity
of cell types and states forming the skin and how these change during
lifespan. We did not only find differences in the composition of aged
skin, but also changes in cell activity states. Particularly immune
cells showed specific age-related profiles, which we could pinpoint by analyzing thousands of individual cells on at a time," says Dr. Holger
Heyn, head of the Single Cell Genomics laboratory at CNAG.

Immune cells, inflammation, and ageing In addition to a wide variety of epithelial cells, hair follicle cells, and other components, the skin
is also home to immune cells, which play a crucial role in preventing
infection and protecting against different damages.

The study describes how, during ageing, the presence of some of these
immune cells, namely gamma delta T cells, innate lymphoid cells, and
CD4+ T cells, significantly increases in the skin. These same cells also
start expressing very high levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17.

"Ageing is associated with mild but persistent inflammation and, in the
skin, this is characterised by a significant increase in IL-17, which
causes skin deterioration," explains Dr. Paloma Sola', first author of
the paper, together with Dr. Elisabetta Mereu, who is now a researcher
at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute.

Reversing the symptoms of ageing in skin Previous studies had described
that IL-17 is related to some autoimmune skin diseases, such as psoriasis,
and there are existing treatments that block this protein. The team of researchers studied the response of various aspects to blocking IL-17
activity, including hair follicle growth, transepidermal water loss, wound healing, and genetic markers of ageing. These four parameters showed an improvement after treatment, as the acquisition of these ageing traits
was significantly delayed.

"IL-17 protein is essential for vital body functions, such as defense
against microbes and wound healing, so permanently blocking it would
not be an option.

What we have observed is that its temporary inhibition offers benefits
that could be of interest at a therapeutic level," saysDr. Guiomar
Solanas, associate researcher at IRB Barcelona.

Future work by the researchers will focus on clarifying the ageing
processes that are related to inflammatory states in the skin and how
these are linked to IL-17. The team will also address whether IL-17 is
involved in the ageing and deterioration of other tissues and organs.

This research has received funding from the European Research Council
(ERC), the Government of Catalonia, the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Lilliane Bettencourt Foundation, the State Research Agency (AEI), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

* RELATED_TOPICS
o Health_&_Medicine
# Skin_Care # Immune_System # Skin_Cancer # Psoriasis #
Healthy_Aging # Stem_Cells # Lymphoma # Cosmetics
* RELATED_TERMS
o Collagen o Acne o Molecular_biology o Psoriasis o Cholesterol
o Liver o Epinephrine o Ultraviolet

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Institute_for_Research_in_Biomedicine_(IRB_Barcelona).

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Paloma Sola', Elisabetta Mereu, Ju'lia Bonjoch, Marta
Casado-Pela'ez,
Neus Prats, Mo`nica Aguilera, Oscar Reina, Enrique Blanco, Manel
Esteller, Luciano Di Croce, Holger Heyn, Guiomar Solanas, Salvador
Aznar Benitah. Targeting lymphoid-derived IL-17 signaling to delay
skin aging.

Nature Aging, 2023; DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00431-z ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230608121031.htm

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