At a time when skin barrier function and ageing have come into focus, we are seeing more innovations aimed at protection; against damaging UV rays as well as levels of pollutions particularly in big cities.
Mibelle Biochemistry’s PerfectionPeptide P7 is a biologically active hepta-peptide that stimulates the skin’s own self-defense mechanisms against oxidative stress at the cellular level, and the company claims it significantly reduces DNA damage, UV-induced formation of sunburn cells, and depletion of Langerhans.
“PerfectionPeptide P7 provides a unique strategy to fight both environmental and chronological ageing,” says the Switzerland-based firm.
“PerfectionPeptide P7 is much more than an anti-oxidant: it offers a 360° protection from daily stress factors, ROS and toxins. Therefore, it is an ideal active for any daily defense formulation to safeguard both the youthfulness and beauty of your skin.”
The peptide has also been encapsulated into a novel soft sphere carrier system that is based on shea butter to ensure the stability and bioavailability.
Nrf2 activity
Cells respond to oxidative stress by activating the transcription factor Nrf2, an antioxidant response pathway linked to stress. It is a master switch in the cellular self-protection system that leads to an increased synthesis of cell protecting enzymes in order to fight oxidants, free radicals and toxins.
However, this self-protection system of the skin is unable to cope with an excess of stress factors and it also declines with age.
Normally Nrf2 activity is repressed by the Keap1 protein, and only becomes activated when the cells are faced with too much oxidative stress.
Mibelle Biochemistry used this as the basis for the design of its hepta-peptide that is a competitive inhibitor of the Keap1 repression.
As a result Nrf2 is now constantly present in its active form and arms the skin cells for challenges from any stress caused by oxidants or other reactive chemical species.
The ingredients supplier says that in cell culture assays, PerfectionPeptide P7 clearly stimulated the expression of detoxifying enzymes. In ex-vivo experiments and clinical trials the peptide also showed an ability to significantly protect the skin from oxidative stress at the cellular level.
Other studies
Earlier this year in a separate study, researchers in Switzerland studied Nrf2 activity in the skin with regards to stress that gave an insight in the development of the role this molecule can play in skin care.
The team looked at the possibilities and understanding of its role if it was active in the skin, and stated that the discovery means that Nrf2 is an interesting candidate for use in skin care creams, as until then, prolonged activation in the skin had not been characterized.