Treating cutaneous aging with patented technologies.
Loading...
Date
2015-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
1. Introduction
Cutaneous aging is a multifactorial process affecting different constituents of the skin (Reddy and Gilchrest
2011). During aging, distribution of subcutaneous fat is altered. The subcutaneous fat is significantly lost
from the dorsum of the hand, face and shin, but accumulates in the waist or thigh (Kligman et al. 1985;
Farage et al. 2007). In the epidermis, signs of aging include lowering of the levels of collagen IV and
collagen VII at the basement membrane, flattening of the rete ridge, thinning of the epidermis, and lowering
of the levels of ceramides, free fatty acids, squalene and epidermal cholesterol (El-Domyati et al. 2002;
Hayashi et al. 2003; Sandby-Moller et al. 2003; Neerken et al. 2004; Fore 2006). In the dermis, aging leads
to fragmentation of elastin, an increase in collagen degradation, and a decrease in production of dermal
collagen, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans (Giacomoni et al. 2000; El-Domyati et al. 2002; Carrino
et al. 2003; Fore 2006; Varani et al. 2006; Farage et al. 2007). Owing to atrophy of the supporting dermis,
the skin hydration level and skin repair capacity are reduced (Farage et al. 2009). Elderly people, therefore,
are predisposed to susceptibility to skin injuries and disorders (including altered wound healing, immunologic
changes, dermatologic diseases, and skin cancers).
Along with the increasing understanding of the mechanism of cutaneous aging, opportunities have been
brought to research into anti-aging treatment. In an earlier study, oral administration of isotretinoin was
found not only to improve skin thickness, skin colour, skin elasticity and skin tone, but also to reduce
pigmented lesions, mottled hyperpigmentation and wrinkles (Hernandez-Perez et al. 2000). More recently,
caloric restriction has been reported to prevent or delay age-associated histomorphological changes by
reducing the age-related increase in the depth of the epidermis, dermis, and fat layer, and by increasing the
collagen percentage, elastic fiber fraction area and dermal fibroblast population (Bhattacharyya et al. 2005).
These are only few examples of the large number of works devoted to skin rejuvenation over the past 20
years. More examples of approaches explored for treatment of aging skin are listed in table 1. These
approaches can be categorized into cosmetic procedures and cosmeceutical interventions. Many of them
have been evaluated clinically for skin treatment (Beer 2011; Blyumin-Karasik et al. 2011; Yokoyama et al.
2014). Apart from the advances reported in the scientific literature, innovations reported in the patent
literature are also worth noticing. As these innovations may not have been documented in scientific journals
due to the issue of intellectual property, patent publications are a rich knowledge source complementary to
the conventional scientific literature.
2. Cosmeceuticals in the patent literature
As far as the patent literature on cutaneous aging is concerned, the number of patents on cosmeceuticals
much exceeds that on cosmetic procedures. This may be because cosmeceuticals in general are more
convenient for self-application and are less invasive (McCullough and Kelly 2006). This gives
cosmeceuticals a higher practical potential. In 2011, a patent was published on a composition comprising
a dill extract, a blackberry leaf extract, and a cosmetically acceptable carrier (Kizoulis et al. 2011). In vitro
studies showed that the blackberry extract stimulates tropoelastin production (Kizoulis et al. 2011).
Compared to a composition containing either a dill extract or a blackberry leaf extract, the one containing
Description
Keywords
Anti-aging, cosmeceuticals, cutaneous aging, patents, skin
Citation
Lai Wing-Fu, Lin Marie C. Treating cutaneous aging with patented technologies. Journal of Biosciences. 2015 June; 40(2): 209-216.