Mechanisms of ageing and developmentJul 7, 2026

Elastin Fragments in the Blood May Promote Body-Wide Aging: Sources of These Aging-Related Fragments

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jul 8, 2026

Abstract

Circulating elastin fragments may contribute to inflammaging and systemic aging.

Elastin is unevenly distributed across tissues, primarily found in areas subject to mechanical stress like the aorta, lungs, and skin.
Aging is associated with structural degradation in these tissues, potentially leading to the release of elastin fragments.
Increased activity of elastolytic enzymes, such as neutrophil elastase and various matrix metalloproteinases, may drive the chronic release of these fragments into the bloodstream.
Understanding the primary anatomical sources of elastin fragments could inform the development of targeted interventions to address aging-related inflammation.

Simplified

Circulating elastin fragments have emerged as potent mediators of inflammaging and systemic aging, yet a fundamental question persists: which anatomical compartments serve as the primary sources of these fragments during aging? Elastin is a structurally restricted protein distributed unevenly across tissues, predominantly at sites subject to repetitive mechanical loading, such as the aorta and large arteries, the lungs, and the skin. It is speculated that age-driven structural deterioration within these compartments, spanning arteriosclerosis, emphysema, and dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, coupled with upregulated elastolytic protease activity (including neutrophil elastase, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MMP-12), sustains a chronic, low-grade release of bioactive elastin fragments into the circulation, thereby fueling inflammaging and systemic aging. Delineating the relative contributions of each source is therefore more than an anatomical exercise; it establishes a mechanistic framework for designing tissue-targeted interventions capable of disrupting the ECM-inflammaging axis. This mini-review examines the principal anatomical sources of circulating elastin fragments and the elastolytic enzymes responsible for their generation.

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Elastin Fragments in the Blood May Promote Body-Wide Aging: Sources of These Aging-Related Fragments

Abstract

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