In two-year old mice, Californian researchers found that they could rejuvenate skin to look more youthful.
Further analysis published in the journal Genes and Development showed the skin had the same genetic profile as the skin of newborn mice.
The team said the research would most likely lead to treatments to improve healing in older human patients.
They stressed it was unlikely to be a potential "fountain of youth" but could help older people heal as quickly from injury as they did when they were younger.
The protein in question - NF-kappa-B - is thought to play a role in numerous aspects of ageing.
It acts as a regulator, causing a wide range of other genes to be more or less active.
Lead researcher, Dr Howard Chang, from the Stanford School of Medicine in California, said the findings supported the theory that ageing is the result of specific genetic changes rather than accumulated wear and tear.
And that it is possible to reverse those genetic changes later in life.
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