Endothelium-specific sensing of mechanical signals drives epidermal aging through coordinating retinoid metabolism.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Skin aging manifests as a systemic decay of intercellular mechano-chemical coordination. While vascular endothelial cells emerge as central orchestrators, their specific roles in sensing mechanical signals remain poorly understood. Methods: To investigate age-related skin changes, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics to analyze cellular proportions and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across young, middle-aged, and elderly human skin samples. The mechanical properties of skin were quantified using photonic crystal cellular force microscopy (PCCFM) to compare Young's modulus between young and aged skin. Cell-cell communication networks, particularly interactions among fibroblasts, vascular endothelial cells, and epi

SUBMITTER: Wu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12203922 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature