Exploring Human Skin Aging at the Single-Cell Level

Zou et al. (2020) used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze human skin aging in eyelid samples from nine female patients aged 18-76 years. They found that age-related changes, such as tissue thinning and reduced collagen density, begin in early adulthood. Key findings included increased transcriptional noise in fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and pericytes, and upregulation of stress and inflammation genes. They identified KLF6 and HES1 as critical transcription factors whose downregulation contributes to aging. Restoring HES1 activity with quercetin showed potential in delaying senescence. This study provided a detailed cell atlas of skin aging, suggesting new therapeutic targets for age-related skin conditions.