Focus on Skin Fibroblast - The Skin "Treasure Cells"™

WHY FIBROBLASTS?:   The multi-tasking Fibroblast  produces the major components of the extra­cellular matrix - collagen, elastin, GAGs - and participates in skin regeneration, healing and immune defense. Fibroblasts transform themselves into other cells, such as epithelial cells. The complexity of its functions and its strategic position in the dermis make the fibroblast particularly vulnerable to damage and impairment by UV rays, pollutants and chemicals, and metabolically generated free radicals. Maintaining the healthy and long term functioning of fibroblasts is critical to slowing skin aging.

Skin Fibroblasts:

1)  produce and organize the extracellular matrix

2)  are of three principal types:  papillary fibroblasts reside in the superficial dermis, reticular fibroblasts reside in the deep dermis, and follicle fibroblasts are associated with hair follicles

3)  papillary fibroblasts are most important in sustaining keratinopoiesis (skin regeneration) and in promoting epidermal morphogenesis (skin regeneration) in comparison to reticular fibroblasts.

4)   papillary and reticular fibroblasts nourish the micro-vessels in the overlying epidermis  and contribute to the organization and maintenance of this microvasculature.

5)  follicle fibroblasts are essential for hair development, eccrine functions, and skin repair. The capacity of follicle dermal cells incorporated into skin wounds was evaluated for their ability to form hair follicles in wound environments and to create a hair follicle-derived skin equivalent. The experimental data support the hypothesis that follicle dermal cells may be important in wound healing and demonstrate their potential usefulness in human skin equivalents.

6)  two functional states of fibroblasts: activated, seen as a branched larger cell, usually referred to as fibroblast, and a smaller and spindle shaped cell, called the fibrocyte which are proto fibroblasts.  Fibrocytes are the “repair team” -once the need is detected, (e.g. repair of damaged skin), the fibrocyte team changes to fibroblasts and contributes to the repair process.

7)  fibroblast transformation: it can morph into brown fat cells, which may contribute to the rec­ognized role of fibroblasts in “sculpting” the body. 

8)  fibroblast aging: the induction of pro-inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2) by UV in aged skin is known to be higher than in the young skin exposed to UV.   Inflammatory prostaglandins, (PGE2) are generated and age the skin. Old fibroblasts less easily multiply and underperform cell repair and regeneration, protection of skin collagen from inflammatory enzymes destroying skin collagen,  tissue remodeling enzymes and production of dermal building blocks.

9)  Impairment/ aging of papillary fibroblasts: lessens inhibition of the production of tissue destructive enzymes, i.e., metalloproteinases (MMP’s) and MMP’s modifying enzymes i.e., tissue inhibitors of met­alloproteinases (TIMP).  Older fibroblasts secrete more  keratinocyte growth factor (KGF)  The age-related change of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion resembles that of KGF. The papillary fibroblast col­lagen lattice contraction capacity increases  with age (collagen lattice contraction is important in tissue remodeling and wound healing).

10)  Impairment/ aging of reticular fibroblasts: the monocyte chemoatractant protein 1 (MCP-1) secretion (factor in tissue remodeling) decreases, and the collagen lattice contraction capacity is not changed with age.

11.)   Aging of fibroblasts: the two subsets of fibroblasts, papillary dermis and reticular dermis fibroblasts, age in distinct ways.

 
RESEARCH PROGRAM: A better understanding of the role of fibroblasts will help identify target molecules and processes essential for maintaining healthy skin, slowing skin aging and pathol­ogy, and minimizing inflammation.  P.L. Thomas’ research focus is identifying and validating the effectiveness of topical and ingestible ingredients which will maintain healthy and long-lived skin fibroblasts.

Copyright © 2009 P.L. Thomas