A new study has identified the potential for a variety of anti-ageing treatments that could prevent the development of both wrinkles and greying hair.
Published in the journal Endocrine Reviews, the research suggests that an array of naturally occurring hormones could be leveraged to slow some of the body's ageing processes.
“Our paper highlights key hormone players that orchestrate pathways of skin ageing such as degradation of connective tissue (leading to wrinkling), stem cell survival and loss of pigment (leading to hair greying),” said lead author Prof Markus Böhm from the University of Münster, Germany.
“Some of the hormones we studied have anti-ageing properties and may be used in the future as agents to prevent skin ageing."
The primary objective of the study was to explore the relationship between hormones and ageing. Specifically, the researchers investigated several key hormones that could influence skin ageing, including oestrogens, growth hormones, and melatonin.
Among the hormones studied, melatonin stood out. While most people know it for its role in regulating sleep, the study suggests melatonin may also help keep skin youthful. Its powerful antioxidant effects protect skin cells from damage, potentially slowing down the ageing process.
Several other hormones – such as melanocyte-stimulating hormone (which affects skin pigmentation) and oxytocin – were also found to help keep skin and hair youthful by helping protect them from UV damage.
The skin is the body's largest organ and can be damaged by environmental factors, especially exposure to UV rays from the Sun.
“Skin is not only a target for various hormones that control pathways of skin ageing but itself is certainly the largest and richest site for hormone production besides classical endocrine glands [organs such as the pituitary gland, which primarily function to secrete hormones],” Böhm said.
Scientists hope these discoveries will lead to new anti-ageing treatments called senotherapeutics. These drugs work by targeting and removing senescent cells – cells that stop dividing and build up in the body as we age – helping to slow down or even reverse some signs of ageing.
“Further research into these hormones may offer opportunities to develop new therapeutics for treating and preventing skin ageing,” Böhm concluded.
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