人类皮肤细胞研究取得了新突破，这为抗衰老医疗提供了新的方法和途径。
中国科技网2月26日报道（张微 编译）英国纽卡斯尔大学的科学家们首次发现，人类皮肤细胞中存在一种关键代谢酶，这种酶的活性随着年龄的增长而下降。
这项研究成果发表在《皮肤病学研究》杂志的在线版上，研究发现年老肌肤中线粒体复合物Ⅱ的活性显著降低。
这项发现让科学家们距离开发有效的抗衰老医疗和美容产品更近了一步，这些医疗手段和美容产品可能会起到抑制代谢酶活性水平下降的作用。
该研究成果也会让我们更加了解身体内其他器官的年龄，这将为与年龄相关疾病的药物开发铺平道路，包括癌症。
纽卡斯尔大学分子皮肤病学教授Mark Birch-Machin，与研究团队中的Amy Bowman博士一道领导了这项开创性的研究。
Birch-Machin教授说：“当我们的身体衰老，我们就会发现细胞中的能量逐渐耗尽，这种现象被称为生物能降低，及有害自由基增加。
“这个过程在我们的皮肤上很容易看出来，当细纹和皱褶增多，皮肤下垂的现象出现的时候。这情况你一定知道，至少你早上照镜子的时候也会发现。”
“我们的研究首次发现，随着年龄的增长，在人体皮肤中关键代谢酶的活性下降，这种酶存在与皮肤细胞的能量中。”
“这种酶是我们细胞中产生能量的两种重要途径的联系枢纽，它的活性降低会导致老化皮肤中生物能的下降。”
“我们的研究表明，我们现在有了一个特定的生物标志物，或一个靶向，可以用于开发和筛选抗衰老医疗及化妆品，能够逆转这种生物能的下降。”
“我们的研究让开发抗衰老医疗成为可能(可以针对不同年龄和不同颜色的皮肤)，还有另外一种可能应用，就是解决我们身体其它部位的老化过程。”
该研究测定了6-72岁的27名志愿者的复合物Ⅱ活性。样本取自不受阳光损害的皮肤部位，以确定随着年龄的增长复合物Ⅱ是否存在活性差异。
一些技术被用来测量线粒体内关键酶的活性，线粒体是细胞中制造能量的结构。这是适用于来自上层(表皮)和较低层(真皮)水平的皮肤的细胞。
科学家发现随着年龄的增长，复合物Ⅱ的活性显著下降，细胞中每个单位的线粒体来自较低而不是上层水平的皮肤细胞中，这项成果在之前的人类皮肤细胞研究中从未报道过。
科学家们发现，复合物Ⅱ的活性显著下降的原因是酶类蛋白质数量下降导致的，而且这种下降只发生在那些老化的细胞中。
现在需要进一步的研究，充分了解皮肤和其他组织的功能效应，并建立方法来评估人类皮肤的抗老化策略。
纽卡斯尔大学细胞医学研究所研究员，Bowman博士说：“纽卡斯尔大学对老化问题做出了开创性的研究，人们长期以来一直认为线粒体在衰老过程中起着重要的作用，但其确切作用仍不清楚。而我们的工作让我们更加深入的了解到，这些重要细胞的结构如何导致人类衰老，希望我们最终可以成功定位，以抵抗衰老的迹象。”
最近这项研究进行了小鼠实验，结果表明和年轻小鼠相比，自然衰老的小鼠皮肤中复合物Ⅱ活性较低。
Scientists make significant anti-aging breakthrough
A breakthrough in understanding human skin cells offers a pathway for new anti-ageing treatments.
For the first time, scientists at Newcastle University, UK, have identified that the activity of a key metabolic enzyme found in the batteries of human skin cells declines with age.
A study, published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, has found that the activity of mitochondrial complex II significantly decreases in older skin.
This discovery brings experts a step closer to developing powerful anti-ageing treatments and cosmetic products which may be tailored to counteract the decline in the enzyme's activity levels.
Findings may also lead to a greater understanding of how other organs in the body age, which could pave the way for drug developments in a number of age-related diseases, including cancer.
Mark Birch-Machin, Professor of Molecular Dermatology at Newcastle University, led the pioneering study with Dr Amy Bowman from his research group.
Professor Birch-Machin said: "As our bodies age we see that the batteries in our cells run down, known as decreased bio-energy, and harmful free radicals increase.
"This process is easily seen in our skin as increased fine lines, wrinkles and sagging appears. You know the story, or at least your mirror does first thing in the morning!
"Our study shows, for the first time, in human skin that with increasing age there is a specific decrease in the activity of a key metabolic enzyme found in the batteries of the skin cells.
"This enzyme is the hinge between the two important ways of making energy in our cells and a decrease in its activity contributes to decreased bio-energy in ageing skin.
"Our research means that we now have a specific biomarker, or a target, for developing and screening anti-ageing treatments and cosmetic creams that may counter this decline in bio-energy.
"There is now a possibility of finding anti-ageing treatments which can be tailored to differently aged and differently pigmented skin, and with the additional possibility to address the ageing process elsewhere in our bodies."
Complex II activity was measured in 27 donors, from aged six to 72 years. Samples were taken from a sun-protected area of skin to determine if there was a difference in activity with increasing age.
Techniques were used to measure the activities of the key enzymes within mitochondria that are involved in producing the skin cell's energy, a type of mitochondrial gym or skin physical. This was applied to cells derived from the upper (epidermis) and lower (dermis) levels of skin.
It was found that complex II activity significantly declined with age, per unit of mitochondria, in the cells derived from the lower rather than the upper levels, an observation not previously reported for human skin.
The scientists found that the reason for this is the amount of enzyme protein was decreased and furthermore this decrease was only observed in those cells that had stopped proliferating.
Further studies will now be required to fully understand the functional consequences in skin and other tissues, and to establish methods to assess anti-ageing strategies in human skin.
Dr Bowman, Research Associate at Newcastle University's Institute of Cellular Medicine, said: "Newcastle University is pioneering research into ageing as it has long been thought that mitochondria play an important role in the ageing process, however the exact role has remained unclear.
"Our work brings us one step closer to understanding how these vital cell structures may be contributing to human ageing, with the hope of eventually specifically targeting areas of the mitochondria in an attempt to counteract the signs of ageing."
A recent study carried out in mice showed that complex II activity is lower in the skin of naturally aged older mice compared to younger mice.
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