Scientists accidentally discover rogue enzyme that ages the skin - and now plan to block it

Scientists have identified what they believe is the key to wrinkle free skin, raising hopes for creams and treatments that could defy aging. Incredibly the discovery was made by accident as the researchers were looking into the role of Granzyme-B in atherosclerosis and heart attacks.

In a 20-week tanning experiment, they found that mice who lacked the enzyme Granzyme-B had aged significantly less than than those who had it. The researchers found that they also had noticeably smoother skin and their collagen was more intact.

According to The Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2879409/Is-secret-wrinkle-free-skin-Scientists-accidentally-discover-rogue-enzyme-ages-skin-plan-block-it.html), during their experiments they happened to notice the difference in the quality of the skin on the different groups of mice.

Lead researcher David Granville of the University of British Columbia said: ‘This is one of those moments that we live for in science.

‘We were interested in the effects of aging on blood vessels; we had no idea (the absence of this enzyme) would have any effect on their skin.’

Professor Granville added that his team was developing drugs that can block Granzyme B - and hoped to make them commercially available soon.

He said: ‘We have generated natural and synthetic inhibitors of this enzyme and one can easily see the application for this after excessive sun exposure... or in other cosmetics as well.

‘That’s obviously the first thing that comes to mind’.

The research team created a miniature tanning salon for the mice in the experiment and each mouse was put on a carousel that turned under UV lamps. The animals were exposed to the light three times a week for three to four minutes each session, which was enough to make them red but not to burn.

By week 20, it was clear that the mice who had been engineered to lack Granzyme B had pristine skin - but the control group had wrinkles.

Professor Granville said: ‘About 80 to 90 per cent of visible skin aging is caused by sunlight.

‘We found that by knocking out (Granzyme B) we could markedly protect against the loss of collagen and it prevented wrinkling in these mice.’

Granzyme B appears to work by interfering with the the integrity of collagen and dismantling the ‘cellular scaffolding’ that binds its cells together.

This results in structural weakness which we see on the surface as wrinkles.

Exposure to sunlight appears to increase the level of Granzyme B, thus accelerating its harmful effect on the skin.

Professor Granville said that many anti-aging cosmetics include collagen which consumers apply to the skin even though it does very little.

He said: ‘By adding collagen without putting out the fire, you are just adding wood to the fire.

‘This offers an actual realistic solution, where you can inhibit the enzyme that is leading to the breakdown of collagen.’

Professor Granville’s Canadian company, viDa Therapeutics, is currently working on a lotion that will stop sores and burns caused by too much sun.

And whilst the experiment worked in mice who were bred to have no Granzyme B at all, in humans things are more complicated as the enzyme it is part of the immune system and removing it may have unintended consequences. 

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