A collaborative research group led by Dr. Ken Natsuga of the Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University Hospital has clarified the effect of type 17 collagen, which is a type of collagen, on the rejuvenation of the epidermis.
The epidermis, which is located on the surface of the skin, is located on the outermost side of all organs and has a barrier function with the outside world.It has not been well understood how the thickness of the epidermis is regulated and how the epidermis changes with aging.
Focusing on type 17 collagen, which is a type of collagen, the group conducted research using mice and cultured cells, and found that the epidermis at the developmental stage proliferates more actively due to type 17 collagen deficiency.Conversely, it was found that the introduction of type 17 collagen into the epidermis of type 17 collagen-deficient mice suppressed the growth of the epidermis.Thus, the group discovered that type 17 collagen has the function of maintaining the thickness of the epidermis at the developmental stage.
In addition, we found that the distribution of type 17 collagen changes in the aged epidermis and the epidermis grows thicker, and when type 17 collagen is introduced into the epidermis, the epidermis does not grow even when it ages, so-called epidermis. It was revealed that it shows "rejuvenation".
This achievement is expected to lead to drug discovery aimed at rejuvenating the epidermis and development of preventive drugs for skin cancer.
Paper information: [eLife]: Type XVII collagen coordinates proliferation in the interfollicular epidermis
