HGF and skin aging: In this same study, it was observed that fibroblasts secrete and release growth factors associated with skin aging, such as the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1-beta (IL-1b), which controls the functionality of melanocytes, negatively regulating the expression of E-cadherin and impairing the integrity and architecture of epithelial tissue [80].