CCN1 as an emerging key regulator in sensitive skin and skin aging: Mechanisms and therapeutic potential

This cover review systematically elucidates the central regulatory role of CCN1 in both sensitive skin and skin aging. CCN1 is a secreted matricellular protein that is markedly upregulated by ultraviolet radiation, oxidative stress, or intrinsic aging. Once elevated, CCN1 binds to different integrin receptors and simultaneously affects barrier function, inflammatory responses, collagen metabolism, and pigmentation. In sensitive skin, acute overactivation of CCN1 leads to barrier disruption and amplified inflammation. In aging skin, chronic high expression of CCN1 drives collagen degradation, fibroblast senescence, and inflammaging, resulting in dermal thinning and loss of elasticity. Importantly, sensitive skin and aging skin form a self‑reinforcing cycle: barrier defects and inflammation accelerate aging, while aged skin with persistently elevated CCN1 becomes more fragile and reactive. The review proposes that CCN1 is a key molecular node linking sensitivity and aging, and that targeting CCN1 and its signaling pathways may advance skincare development from symptom improvement toward precision regulation of a master switch, ultimately restoring skin microenvironment homeostasis.