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Skin aging: mechanisms, evaluation, and rejuvenation
Runhan Li1, Jingyun Zhang2, Kehang Mao1,3
1Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Center for Quantitative Biology (CQB), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
The EMBO Journal
|May 21, 2026
Summary
Skin aging is a visible sign of body aging, impacting tissue health and longevity. This study explores skin aging mechanisms and rejuvenation strategies for better health.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Dermatology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Skin aging is a visible indicator of systemic aging, affecting tissue homeostasis, barrier integrity, immune defense, and regeneration.
- Understanding skin aging mechanisms provides insights into overall organismal aging and longevity.
- Key factors include cellular senescence, disrupted communication between skin layers, and dysregulated microbiome and hormonal signaling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To dissect the multi-layered mechanisms driving skin aging across epidermal, dermal, and appendage compartments.
- To summarize advances in quantitative evaluation of skin aging for objective biological age assessment.
- To highlight novel rejuvenation strategies for precision interventions and regenerative therapies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of intrinsic cellular senescence and inter-compartmental communication pathways.
- Evaluation of skin microbiome and hormonal signaling dysregulation.
- Review of quantitative assessment methods including molecular, morphological, microbial, and phenotypic indices.
Main Results:
- Intrinsic cellular senescence, disrupted communication, and dysregulated microbiome/hormonal signaling collectively impair skin structure and function.
- Quantitative evaluation methods enable objective assessment of biological age and intervention effectiveness.
- Multiple rejuvenation strategies show promise for rewiring gene expression, modulating metabolism, remodeling the microenvironment, and regulating hormones.
Conclusions:
- Skin aging is a complex process involving cellular, microbial, and hormonal factors across skin compartments.
- Objective assessment tools are advancing the understanding and measurement of skin aging.
- Precision rejuvenation strategies offer a framework for next-generation regenerative therapies targeting skin aging.
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