Dr Sofia Ferriera, a fellow at the Centre for Inflammation Research, tells us a bit about herself and shares her research into skin ageing. Image Dr Sofia Ferreira What is your background? I did my PhD and postdoc at the University of Edinburgh in Professor Forbes’ laboratory (Centre for Regenerative Medicine), studying the molecular mechanisms of ageing in the liver. From those studies we know that senescence is one of the main driving forces in some liver diseases like Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis or liver failure after transplantation. Senescence is a permanent cell cycle arrest and one of main hallmarks of ageing. This means that, although the cell is alive, it is not able to proliferate (divide) to repair injury. Moreover, senescent cells like to communicate their compromised state to the surrounding cells, and that increases inflammation, attracting immune cells that aggravate the situation and can make other cells senescent as well! You’ve previously been researching the liver. What prompted the move to look into skin ageing? In my postdoc, we identified a number of mechanisms in the liver and (more excitingly!) some therapeutic opportunities to target senescence and, in the future, improve liver disease. However, there is little understanding about the role of senescence in the skin: do the same mechanisms of liver senescence apply to the skin? How do senescent cells accumulate in the skin? Which cells become senescent first? Does it have any impact during wound healing? Can we improve this scenario? Historically, skin ageing has been examined from a cosmetic perspective. There are indeed a number of visible changes with skin ageing including loss of elasticity, presence of wrinkles, spots, growths, etc. But skin ageing goes far beyond the cosmetic side: 90% of old people have at least one skin condition. With ageing, sebaceous glands reduce oil production and that makes it hard for the skin to retain moist, leading to dryness and itchiness. Old skin is less able to sense touch, pressure, vibration, to feel heat and to feel cold, which may have an impact in hypothermia and heat strokes. With ageing the skin becomes thinner, loses its protective fat layer and the blood vessels of the dermis become more fragile, leading to easy bruising and skin damage. And more important, as you age you are at increased risk for skin injury, and old skin repairs four times slower than younger skin, which is particularly problematic for example when someone over 70 years old requires a surgery. This also puts an enormous pressure in our healthcare system. I think we don’t talk enough about the reality of skin ageing, what it means for elderly people and what it will mean for us in the near future as we grow old. In my group, we aim to change this perception by studying senescence in the skin, providing new tools to increase regeneration, improving quality of life and promoting ‘‘healthspan’’ for the next generation. What can our skin health teach us? At a cellular level, senescence mechanisms are very similar whether you study the liver, the skin or any other organ. That said, the skin is a beautiful and complex platform that gives us easy access for the study of senescence (for example, applying topically anti-senescent drugs). One of our main goals is to understand how senescence in the skin differs from senescence in other organs, and if results can be applied to a multi-organ approach to increase regeneration and promote overall healthy ageing. Image The hands of Sofia's 6 year old son and 100 year old grandma. Why is it important to research ageing? The UK population is ageing. In 2019, 12.3 million people were aged 65 or over. By 2066 this number is estimated to reach 20.4 million (26% of all UK). We are living longer than ever, but this has an unfortunate side-effect: a new epidemic of chronic diseases for which we currently have no cure. In the case of the skin, senescent cells accumulate in aged skin, increasing inflammation and promoting tissue damage. The inevitable consequence is that old skin is not as efficient at repair and is more susceptible to damage and disease. This reality of ageing has been documented since World War I, with the observation that wounds heal more slowly in older soldiers whereas a fetus in the womb heals cutaneous wounds without a scar. Now is the time to start exploring this in detail, and provide innovative solutions to promote skin regeneration for the elderly. What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies? I have three wonderful little kids that keep me occupied most of my free time! I love to spend as much time as possible with them. Other than that I like to play piano and doodle. What is your favourite thing about the IRR? The support from our later career researchers. It’s incredible how experienced PIs are always willing to help and guide you no matter how busy they are. I think it speaks volumes about the culture of the IRR and how selfless these amazing scientists are. What are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? We are currently setting up our projects, which is really exciting and daunting at the same time! For the next year, I’m really looking forward to see my amazing team working together, the science flow and I aim to share my experiences as a new fellow with any new incoming PIs at the IRR. You can read more about Sofia's research on her group webpage: Ferreira research group This article was published on 2024-07-08
