Local IL-17 Orchestrates Skin Aging
January 2022
in “
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
”
IL-17 Th cells γδ T cells innate lymphoid cells IL-17 signaling pro-inflammatory state epidermal thickness cornified layer thickness hair follicle stem cell activation hair shaft regeneration interleukin-17 helper T cells gamma delta T cells ILCs inflammatory response skin thickness stratum corneum thickness hair growth
TLDR Blocking IL-17 signaling can delay skin aging and improve skin and hair health.
The study "Local IL-17 orchestrates skin aging" provides a comprehensive understanding of age-associated changes in all skin cell types, based on deep single-cell RNA-sequencing of the entire dermal compartment. The research reveals a previously unreported skew towards an IL-17–expressing phenotype of Th cells, γδ T cells, and innate lymphoid cells in aged skin. IL-17 signaling, common to many autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases, increases with age. The in vivo blockade of IL-17–triggered signaling during the aging process reduces the pro-inflammatory state, affecting immune and non-immune skin cells of both dermis and epidermis. Notably, IL-17 neutralization significantly delays the appearance of age-related traits, such as decreased epidermal thickness, increased cornified layer thickness, and improved hair follicle stem cell activation and hair shaft regeneration. The findings suggest that targeting age-associated increased IL-17 signaling could be a strategy to prevent age-associated skin ailments in the elderly.
