Blocking negative effects of senescence in human skin fibroblasts with a plant extract

Abstract

Skin aging: Plant extract blocks negative effects of senescence A plant extract from the goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) ameliorates the negative influence of senescent cells, which accumulate in the skin with aging and create a tissue environment that leads to an impaired skin structure and contributes to tumour formation. Ingo Lämmermann and a team of scientists under the lead of Johannes Grillari at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria, screened several plant extracts for their potential to attenuate such detrimental effects of senescent cells on the skin. One extract from S. virgaurea indeed delayed the aging process of skin cells in vitro and reduced the secretion of tumour promoting molecules and pro-inflammatory factors, thereby ameliorating the negative influence on nearby cells. Thus, the investigated plant extract represents a promising possibility to block the age-associated loss of tissue functionality in human skin.