Grp94 Inhibitor HCP1 Inhibits Human Dermal Fibroblast Senescence

Researchers are paying more and more attention to aging, especially skin aging. Therefore, it is urgent to find an effective way to inhibit aging. Here, we report a small chemical molecule, HCP1, that inhibited the senescence of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). First, we performed morphological experiment and found that HCP1-treated HDFs were no longer elongated and flat compared to DMSO-treated groups. Next, we found that the number of β-gal positive cells decreased compared to DMSO-treated groups. Through flow cytometry, western blot, and immunofluorescence, we found that HCP1 could inhibit the senescence of HDFs. In the study of the mechanism, we found that HCP1 could regulate the AMPK/mTOR signal pathway through glucose-regulated protein 94 (Grp94). In addition, we found that HCP1 could promote the interaction between Grp94 and lysosomes, which led to an increase in the activity of lysosomes and inhibited the senescence of HDFs. At the same time, we found that HCP1 decreased the concentration of Ca2+ in mitochondria, inhibiting the senescence of HCP1. Therefore, we propose that HCP1 is a potential aging-inhibiting compound, and provide a new idea for the development of senescence-inhibiting drugs.