Dermatologists have long noted
that the skin of acne sufferers appears to age more slowly than the skin of
those with no history of acne. Signs of aging such as wrinkles and skin
thinning often appear much later in people who have experienced acne in their
lifetime. It has been suggested that this is due to increased oil production
but there are likely to be other factors involved. Previous studies have shown
that white blood cell telomere length can be predictive of biological aging and
is linked with telomere length in other cells in the body.
Telomeres are repetitive
nucleotide sequences found at the end of chromosomes which protect them from
deteriorating during the process of replication. Telomeres gradually break down
and shrink as cells age, eventually leading to cell death which is a normal
part of human growth and aging. Researchers suggest that the cause could be
linked to the length of telomeres which appears to be different in acne
sufferers and means their cells may be protected against aging. Longer
telomeres are likely to be one factor explaining the protection against
premature skin aging in individuals who previously suffered from acne. Another
important pathway, related to the p53 gene (a protector of the genome), is also
relevant when we looked at gene expression in the skin of acne.
Ref: S. Ribero et al., (2016) Acne and telomere length. A new spectrum between senescence and apoptosis pathways. Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
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