Molecular mechanisms of cutaneous aging. Age-associated connective tissue alterations in the dermis

Abstract

Clinically detectable, age-associated cutaneous changes result from two independent processes: chronologic aging and actinic irradiation. Several lines of evidence suggest that these two processes have different biologic, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. This review summarizes the current understanding of age-associated alterations in the biochemistry and molecular biology of the extracellular matrix.