Canola extract may protect against UV damage

The Ontario-based company is currently conducting a human study to investigate Dermytol's cancer fighting properties and preliminary mouse studies suggest the extract has significant potential.

"Dermytol has the potential to be used in anti-aging and sun protection products to reduce damage to skin.

Results of preclinical trials in animals have been promising leading to human trials now running in both Canada and the United states," said KGK Synergize scientific director Mal Evans.

Dermytol - topical and oral applications?

Recent animal studies illustrate that Dermytol can decrease skin cancer volume when both applied topically and ingested, according to the company.

In a recent mouse study male mice were fed either a Dermytol canola oil mixture or straight canola oil as a control.

A second group of mice either received treatment with a topical Dermytol cream or a placebo cream.

After seven days of treatment the mice were injected with malignant melanoma cells, however treatment continued for a further 25 days.

The mice receiving the topical Dermytol treatment showed a 61 per cent decrease in tumour volume in comparison to those receiving the placebo control.

The mice receiving the oral Dermytol treatment also benefited with an average decrease in tumor size of 45 per cent.

Additional animal studies performed on the product suggest that dietary supplementation with Dermytol can moderately delay the onset of skin tumors and significantly reduce tumor growth rate in mice.

Human studies underway On the back of these positive preliminary studies the company has launched a human study involving 45 volunteers suffering from precancerous skin lesions known as actinic keratoses.

Actinic keratoses are scaly or crusty bumps that form on the skin surface as a result of sun exposure.

Although much of the time they are harmless a proportion of keratoses can turn into skin cancer and treatment to remove them is usually recommended.

As treatment options for these lesions are limited and often painful the company suggests that Dermytol may provide a useful alternative to sufferers.