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Role of Proteases in Photo-aging of the Skin

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Proteases in Physiology and Pathology

Abstract

Aging is an inevitable process in living organisms that results from molecular damage over time. The skin being the most exposed part of the body, time and environmental aggressor leave their indelible mark on the skin. So, skin aging consists of two clinically and biologically independent processes – the intrinsic chronological aging and the aging through extrinsic factors. While intrinsic aging process proceeds at a genetically determined pace due to buildup of damaging products from cellular metabolism, exposure to solar radiations produces biological damages to the cells, known as photo-aging. It adds up to the effects of chronological aging, and it is the most prominent and important among the extrinsic factors. The normal architecture of the skin is disrupted due to degradation of skin components like collagens, fibers, etc. Photo-aged skin presents fine and coarse wrinkles with blotchy pigmentation, increased fragility, and rough texture. It results from complex biological phenomena that lead to activation of several proteases; the most crucial among them are the matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). UV irradiation generates reactive oxygen species and activates a number of transcription factors like AP1, NF-κB, p53, and growth factor like TGFβ. These, in turn, stimulate the MMPs and other proteases. UV radiation also inhibits the expression of natural inhibitors of MMP (TIMP), thereby enhancing the activity of the MMPs. Understanding of the molecular basis of photo-aging is important for its prevention and effective recovery. Antioxidants and other compounds that inhibit the molecular pathways that result in expression of the proteases have proved to be useful in prevention/reversal of skin aging.

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Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges assistance from the University of Kalyani, Kalyani, and DST-PURSE, Government of India, for supporting the work.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, West Bengal, India

    Rita Ghosh

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Correspondence to Rita Ghosh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, India

    Sajal Chakraborti

  2. St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

    Naranjan S. Dhalla

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Ghosh, R. (2017). Role of Proteases in Photo-aging of the Skin. In: Chakraborti, S., Dhalla, N. (eds) Proteases in Physiology and Pathology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2513-6_20

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