A medicinal herb compound may help repair sun-damaged skin
Zhang Y, Zuo X, Hou X, Zhang C, Zhang J
Medicinal Plants
The same Cnidium monnieri plant some herbalists grow for traditional remedies contains osthole, a compound now shown to protect skin cells from the chain reaction that drives sun-induced aging.
When skin gets hit with UVA rays over and over, a protective protein called SIRT6 gets broken down, and that sets off a cascade that ages and inflames skin cells. Researchers tested a compound called osthole, found in a medicinal herb called Cnidium monnieri, and found it can latch onto SIRT6 and help block this damage. It's an early sign that compounds from traditional medicinal plants could become ingredients in future skin-protective treatments.
Key Findings
Chronic UVA exposure selectively depletes SIRT6 among all sirtuin family members by suppressing the deubiquitinase USP10, leading to SIRT6's proteasomal degradation
SIRT6 loss hyperactivates the DNA-damage sensor PARP1, driving keratinocytes into irreversible senescence and a pro-inflammatory secretory state
The SIRT6 agonist UBCS039 and the plant-derived coumarin osthole (from Cnidium monnieri) both reversed epidermal hyperplasia and reduced senescence and inflammation markers in vivo and in vitro
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found that too much sun exposure breaks down a protective protein called SIRT6 in skin cells, triggering a chain reaction that causes premature skin aging and inflammation. A compound from a traditional Chinese medicinal plant may help counteract this damage.
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Original paper
USP10-SIRT6-PARP1 axis drives keratinocyte senescence and skin photoaging under chronic UVA exposure.
Chronic exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation is the principal environmental driver of skin photoaging, yet the upstream molecular events that commit irradiated keratinocytes to senescence rema...
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