Single-cell transcriptomes of the aging human skin reveal loss of fibroblast priming
Updated August 3, 2023Fibroblasts are the main dermal cell type and are essential for the architecture and function of human skin. Important differences have been described between fibroblasts localized in distinct dermal layers, and these cells are also known to perform varied functions. However, this phenomenon has not been analyzed comprehensively yet. Here we have used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze >15,000 cells from a sun-protected area in young and old donors. Our results define four main fibroblast subpopulations that can be spatially localized and functionally distinguished. Importantly, intrinsic aging reduces this fibroblast ‘priming’, generates distinct expression patterns of skin aging-associated genes, and substantially reduces the interactions of dermal fibroblasts with other skin cell types. Our work thus provides comprehensive evidence for a functional specialization of human dermal fibroblasts and suggests that the age-related loss of fibroblast priming contributes to human skin aging. Overall design: Overall 5 samples were analyzed. Two of them are from young subjects (age=25) and serve as replicates, three of them are from old subjects (age >= 50) and serve as replicates.
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Analysis Portals
Project Label
scAgingHumanMaleSkinSpecies
Sample Type
Anatomical Entity
Organ Part
Selected Cell Types
Disease Status (Specimen)
Disease Status (Donor)
Development Stage
Library Construction Method
Nucleic Acid Source
Paired End
falseAnalysis Protocol
analysis_protocolFile Format
Cell Count Estimate
15.5kDonor Count
5