Physiology of the skin: aging and inflammation via SkinInc

Despite many years of intense research on the cause of aging, it is still not fully understood, although general consensus is that chronic inflammation appears to be a major underlying factor. It is known that aging is a complex process that has both genetic and environmental components. It is also known that, in many cases, aging is not always systemic. The process of aging results in an increase of inflammatory cytokines, which are chemicals that are cell signals responsible for many of the degenerative diseases that are associated with aging.¹ Rheumatoid arthritis is a classic chronic inflammatory disease associated with excess levels of cytokines that include tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), interleukin-6 and NF-kappaB (NF-kB), which are known to cause or contribute to the inflammatory syndrome. In this article, the three known causes of chronic inflammatory disease associated with aging will be addressed, including NF-kB, oxidative damage and the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light on the skin.

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