ABSTRACT
Intercellular communication is one of the critical functions of all cells to maintain homeostasis and facilitate skin repair and regeneration. Intrinsic aging is primarily caused by excess free radical production from the mitochondrial energy generation processes. Exposure to solar radiation and environmental toxins as well as lifestyle choices such as diet, sleep, stress and exercise is primarily responsible for extrinsic aging. Dermal fibroblasts are a critical component of skin repair and regeneration process. They produce and maintain extracellular matrix and communicate with other cells to maintain skin homeostasis and therefore considered ideal for use as a source of anti-aging products. The composition of any growth factor mixture varies with cell phenotype and environmental variables. Growing dermal fibroblasts under hypoxia leads to upregulation of genes associated with pluripotent stem cells and secretion of known stem cell markers. Mesenchymal stem cells abundant in skin and its secretome are essential in skin repair.
