Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release SocietyMay 19, 2026

Using mRNA to Boost Elastin Production for Skin Rejuvenation in Aging

mRNA Technology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated May 20, 2026

Abstract

mRNA encoding the elastin precursor tropoelastin was constructed and delivered using lipid nanoparticles to promote de novo elastogenesis.

Elastin is essential for skin elasticity and structural integrity but ceases production in adults.
Aging leads to damage in elastin, resulting in irreversible loss of skin elasticity.
mRNA technology combined with lipid nanoparticles may facilitate the synthesis of elastin.
The delivery system must address immunogenicity and inflammation that could hinder mRNA effectiveness.
Using lipid nanoparticles with Timonacic has been shown to enhance the translation of elastin mRNA and reduce inflammation.
This approach could disrupt the cycle of skin aging related to inflammation and elastin deficiency.

Simplified

Elastin is a crucial component of elastic fibers, conferring mechanical elasticity and flexibility while facilitating cell interactions within skin tissue, thereby orchestrating the organized structure and damage repair of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Although elastin has a long half-life, its production ceases in adults. Damage to elastin caused by both intrinsic and extrinsic aging leads to an irreversible loss of skin elasticity, a hallmark of skin aging. mRNA technology combined with lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based delivery systems offers a platform for the de novo synthesis of elastin. However, for regenerative therapeutic applications, mRNA-LNP must overcome the inherent immunogenicity and interference from the senescence-associated chronic inflammatory microenvironment, which may suppress mRNA translation efficiency and exacerbate the "inflammation-elastin deficiency-ECM loss" cycle. Here, mRNA encoding the elastin precursor tropoelastin (TE) was constructed and delivered to promote de novo elastogenesis, counteracting both UVB-induced photoaging and D-galactose-mimicked natural skin aging. This was achieved using LNP incorporating Timonacic, which enhances the translational efficiency of TE mRNA and ameliorates inflammatory responses. This strategy disrupts the intrinsic cycle of skin aging, thereby offering a potential therapeutic approach for skin rejuvenation.

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Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

PubMed

Using mRNA to Boost Elastin Production for Skin Rejuvenation in Aging

Abstract

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Competing interests

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