Researchers from the University of Coimbra, Portugual, have published an opinion in Trends in Molecular Medicine proposing senescent skin cells could cause aging throughout the body.
As is well-known, aged skin shows structural, cellular and molecular changes and the accumulation of senescent cells. These cells can induce or accelerate age-related dysfunction in nearby cells.See related: Disrupted Splicing in Cellular Senescence Presents Novel Anti-aging Target
According to the authors, aging and cellular senescence phenotypes in the skin correlate with immunosenescence, longevity and/or cardiovascular disease risk. Furthermore, UV-induced skin aging can affect the brain, decreasing hippocampal neurogenesis, for example.
Topical senolytics such as dasatinib and fisetin also are discussed to selectively eliminate senescent cells for anti-aging effects.
See archived: Testing Tactics in Skin; Targeting Senescent Cells for Anti-aging