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Review
. 2024 Apr 7;25(7):4101.
doi: 10.3390/ijms25074101.

Research Progress in Skin Aging and Immunity

Xin He  1   2   3 , Xinyu Gao  1   3 , Weidong Xie  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Research Progress in Skin Aging and Immunity

Xin He et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Skin aging is a complex process involving structural and functional changes and is characterized by a decrease in collagen content, reduced skin thickness, dryness, and the formation of wrinkles. This process is underpinned by multiple mechanisms including the free radical theory, inflammation theory, photoaging theory, and metabolic theory. The skin immune system, an indispensable part of the body's defense mechanism, comprises macrophages, lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and mast cells. These cells play a pivotal role in maintaining skin homeostasis and responding to injury or infection. As age advances, along with various internal and external environmental stimuli, skin immune cells may undergo senescence or accelerated aging, characterized by reduced cell division capability, increased mortality, changes in gene expression patterns and signaling pathways, and altered immune cell functions. These changes collectively impact the overall function of the immune system. This review summarizes the relationship between skin aging and immunity and explores the characteristics of skin aging, the composition and function of the skin immune system, the aging of immune cells, and the effects of these cells on immune function and skin aging. Immune dysfunction plays a significant role in skin aging, suggesting that immunoregulation may become one of the important strategies for the prevention and treatment of skin aging.

Keywords: immune cells; immune function; inflammatory response; skin aging.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immune deficiency and skin aging strategies Some images were sourced from Figdraw.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Immune activation and skin aging strategies. Some images were sourced from Figdraw.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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