Adults who suffered from acne during adolescence have skin that is protected from aging because their cells contain long telomeres.
Fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness… The signs of skin aging begin to appear around the age of 25. A natural process against which acne-prone skin seems protected, reveals a British study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
“For several years, dermatologists have noticed that acne-prone skin ages less quickly than others. And although this has been observed in the clinic, the biological causes were uncertain, ”explains the head of the work, Dr Simone Ribero, from the Department of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London (Great Britain).
To identify the origin of this phenomenon, the researchers compared 1,205 pairs of twins, a quarter of which reported having had acne in adolescence. They took biopsies of their skin to study their cells and analyze their genome.
Longer telomeres
The results of these tests reveal that the participants who suffered from acne have longer telomeres in their white blood cells than the young women who did not have this skin problem. Telomeres are fragments of DNA located at the end of chromosomes to protect them. Over time, these extremities naturally destroy themselves. Studies have shown that the length of telomeres in immune cells is a reliable sign of biological age. Thus, this means that the volunteers who had acne have younger skin than their counterparts.
It seems to be longer in patients who have suffered from acne, which means that their cells are protected against aging. By analyzing skin biopsies, we were able to glimpse the role of certain genes, but additional work will be necessary to identify a genetic pathway. “
A protective gene
In addition, analysis of gene expression revealed a protective genetic factor. The skin cells of women who have suffered from acne express little of a gene called p53, which is responsible for programmed cell death. According to the researchers, this one would not be the only one to act. Further work will therefore be necessary to identify them and better understand their role.
The authors of the study recognize, however, that their work cannot be generalized to boys who have suffered from acne since this work was carried out only with women.
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