Elastin microfibril interface-located protein 1 and its catabolic enzyme, cathepsin K, regulate the age-related structure of elastic fibers in the skin.

Using our new assessment strategy, we observed that EMILIN-1 and CTSK are highly linked to changes in the elastic fiber structure with aging. These results indicate that suppressing CTSK expression and increasing EMILIN-1 expression might be an effective approach to prevent elastic fiber morphological changes that lead to wrinkles and sagging. Furthermore, EMILIN-1 in the dermis increases due to interaction with the epidermis, which could provide a new target for the therapeutic care of elastic fibers (including preservation of oxytalan fibers) in epidermis-dermis interaction.