Skin Disorders of Inflammation and Immune Suppression in Young and Elder: A Special Role for Mast Cells

This chapter presents up-to-date epidemiology and pathogenesis of skin diseases that are linked with immune alterations and age. It reviews the current knowledge regarding skin immunity in general, and mast cell function in particular. In addition, the manner by which deterioration of these immune mechanisms promotes both skin aging and skin disease progression has been examined. One of the most acute problems in the elderly is the high incidence of skin diseases. Most cutaneous pathologies classified with high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality, are age-dependent. Likewise, the majority of these skin diseases is immune-related, presenting in individuals, whose skin immunity is no longer intact. Management of these skin disorders, namely parasitic infections, allergic inflammation, and cancer, therefore necessitates the targeting of factors at the core of the malfunctioning immune system. In the case of cancer and infectious diseases, current treatments target the hazardous element and/or intensify the immune response against it. Conventional treatment approaches, both in cancer and in inflammation, yield significant toxicity and high variation in patient response, thereby limiting drug dosing and disease control. Newer avenues are therefore being developed. By means of hindering activatory signaling or stimulating inhibitory signaling, mast cells can theoretically be driven to stability and senescence, affording long lasting abrogation of disease pathogenesis.