Research Summary
Skin aging is a multifactorial process that consists of two distinct and independent mechanisms: intrinsic and extrinsic aging. Youthful skin retains its turgor, resilience, and pliability due to its high content of water. However, daily external injury, combined with the natural aging process, leads to a loss of moisture. The key molecule involved in maintaining skin moisture is hyaluronic acid (HA), which has a unique capacity to retain water.
The regulation of HA metabolism is complex, with multiple sites controlling HA synthesis, deposition, cell and protein associations, and degradation. The enzymes responsible for synthesizing or breaking down HA, along with HA receptors that perform many functions, belong to multigene families with distinct patterns of tissue expression.
Understanding HA metabolism across the different layers of the skin, as well as its interactions with other skin components, is essential for developing ways to modulate skin moisture effectively and rationally.
Keywords: hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid synthases, hyaluronidases, CD44, RHAMM, skin aging.
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