Looking for the philosopher's stone: Emerging approaches to target the hallmarks of aging in the skin

Attenuated NIX in impaired mitophagy contributes to exacerbating cellular senescence in experimental periodontitis under hyperglycemic conditions

Premature accumulation of senescent cells results in tissue destruction, and it is one of the potential primary mechanisms underlying the accelerated progression of diabetes and periodontitis. However, whether this characterized phenomenon could account for periodontal pathogenesis under hyperglycemic conditions remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the senescent phenotypic changes in experimental periodontitis under hyperglycemic conditions. Next, we investigated the mitochondrial function and the potential mitophagy pathways in cellular senescence in vitro and in vivo. Our findings showed that significant senescence occurred in the gingival tissues of diabetic periodontitis mice with increased expression of senescence-related protein p21Cip1 and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype response as well as the decreased expression of NIP3-like protein X (NIX), a mitochondrial receptor. Likewise, we showed that mitochondrial dysfunction (e.g., reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential and accumulation of reactive oxygen species) was attributed to cellular senescence in: human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) through hyperglycemia-induced and Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g-LPS)-induced oxidative stresses. Notably, the resulting reduced NIX expression was reversed by the use of the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), thus correcting the mitochondrial dysfunction. We further verified the expression of inflammatory mediators and senescence-related factors in mice gingival tissues and identified the possible regulatory pathways. Taken together, our work demonstrates the critical role of cellular senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction in periodontal pathogenesis under hyperglycemic conditions. Hence, restoration of mitochondrial function may be a potential novel therapeutic approach to tackling periodontitis in diabetic patients.

Cellular Senescence and Anti-Aging Strategies in Aesthetic Medicine: A Bibliometric Analysis and Brief Review

Background

Skin aging is the most obvious feature of human aging, and delaying aging has become a hot and difficult research topic in aesthetic medicine. The accumulation of dysfunctional senescent cells is one of the important mechanisms of skin aging, based on which a series of anti-aging strategies have been generated. In this paper, from the perspective of cellular senescence, we utilize bibliometrics and research review to explore the research hotspots and trends in this field, with a view to providing references for skin health and aesthetic medicine.

Methods

We obtained literature related to this field from the Web of Science Core Collection database from 1994 to 2024. Bibliometrix packages in R, CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Origin, and Scimago Graphica were utilized for data mining and visualization.

Results

A total of 2,796 documents were included in the analysis. The overall trend of publications showed a continuous and rapid increase from 2016-2023, but the total citations improved poorly over time. In this field, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Experimental Gerontology are core journals. Kim J, Lee JH, Lee S, Rattan SIS, Chung JH and Kim JH are the core authors in this field. Seoul National University is the first in terms of publications. Korea is the country with the most publications, but USA has the most total citations. Top 10 keywords include: gene-expression, skin, cellular senescence, cell, oxidative stress, antioxidants, in vitro, fibroblasts, mechanism, cancer. Current research trends are focused on neurodegeneration, skin rejuvenation, molecular docking, fibrosis, wound healing, SASP, skin barrier, and antioxidants. The core literature and references reflect topics such as the major molecular pathways in the aging process, and the relationship with tumors.

Conclusion

This field of research has been rapidly rising in recent years. Relevant research hotspots focus on oxidative stress, fibroblasts, and senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Anti-aging strategies targeting cellular senescence hold great promise, including removal of senescent cells or attenuation of SASP factors, corresponding to senolytics and senomorphics therapies, respectively.