Spanish scientists published a paper in the journal Nature Aging on June 8th stating that IL-17 protein is a key factor leading to skin aging, participating in various activities related to aging. Blocking the function of this protein can slow down the occurrence of various symptoms related to skin aging. This discovery brings new possibilities for treating certain skin symptoms or promoting postoperative skin recovery. The characteristics of skin aging are a series of structural and functional changes, with reduced regenerative ability, poor healing ability, and weakened barrier function. In addition to various epithelial cells, hair follicle cells, and other components, the skin is also the home of immune cells, which play a crucial role in preventing infection and preventing different injuries. The research leader, Dr. Salvado Aznar Benita of the Spanish Institute of Biomedical Research (IRB), explained that Single-cell sequencing enables them to deeply study the types and states of cells that form skin and the changes of these types and states over time. In this study, they utilized this technique to describe the changes that occur in different types of cells with aging. The results indicate that during the aging process, some immune cells, such as innate lymphocytes and CD4 T cells, significantly increase in the skin, and at the same time, these cells also begin to express very high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17. Researchers have pointed out that aging is associated with mild but persistent inflammation, characterized by a significant increase in IL-17 in the skin, leading to skin aging. Previous studies have shown that IL-17 is associated with some autoimmune skin diseases such as psoriasis, and there are currently therapies that can block this protein. The Benita team studied the effects of blocking IL-17 activity on hair follicle growth, transepidermal dehydration, wound healing, and aging markers, and found that the appearance of these four aging characteristics was significantly delayed after treatment. (Outlook New Era Network)