Healing skin from within

Forget about those age-defying face creams and moisturizing lotions. The real savior of our skin is the enzyme peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6). As Kümin et al. report, the oxidant-fighting enzyme spares skin cells damaged by UV radiation and protects new blood vessels during wound healing.

In vitro, Prdx6 neutralizes damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS). But scientists are just beginning to tease out its functions in vivo. Last year, the researchers found that rodents that overproduce Prdx6 in the skin suffer less damage from UV radiation. Moreover, the extra enzyme accelerates wound healing in aged animals, which are slow to mend. These results make sense, since sunburns induce ROS, and the inflammatory cells that arrive at an injury also spill the destructive molecules.

To further probe the enzyme's protective powers, the team gave...