Publication by Hiebert et al.: Activation of Nrf2 in fibroblasts promotes a skin aging phenotype via an Nrf2-miRNA-collagen axis.

Hiebert et al. show that constitutive activation of the Nrf2 transcription factor in fibroblasts causes reduced skin strength as seen in aged mice. This results from Nrf2-mediated expression of microRNAs that target mRNAs of major skin collagens. Together with human data, these results identify activated NRF2 as a promoter of age-related molecular and biomechanical skin features.