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Youthful skin reveals its genetic secrets
LAURENCE MOUTON/PHOTO ALTO/JUPITER
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How genes make our skin look older GENETIC analyses of human skin involved in cholesterol and fatty are revealing more about what acid synthesis. More surprisingly, makes us look old. As well as the opposite was true for genes throwing up ways to smooth away associated with inflammation wrinkles, the studies may provide and other components of the a quantifiable way to test claims immune system, suggesting that made for skin products. the immune system may play a In the past , cosmetics role in ageing. companies relied on subjective Treating the older skin with assessments of skin appearance, niacinamide, which helps skin and changes in its thickness, retain moisture, damped down colour and protein composition, expression of genes related to to evaluate the effectiveness of inflammation. “We believe that their products and work out the improving the barrier results in a quantities of ingredients needed ‘resignalling’ of key molecular to get the best results. “It was components of the skin,” says Jay totally hit and miss,” says Tiesman of P&G. Targeting this Rosemary Osborne of Procter and inflammation might one day Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. help to keep wrinkles at bay. The Now skin researchers, including findings will appear in the Journal those at P&G, are starting to use of Drugs in Dermatology in July. DNA microarrays, common in the Identifying a “genetic drugs industry, to measure the signature” of younger skin should expression of thousands of genes also provide a benchmark for in skin of different ages. “It’s a way of finding mechanisms that “In older skin there was an increase in the expression were not known before,” says of genes associated with Fernand Labrie, who studies skin inflammation” genomics at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. P&G recently compared gene testing existing skin products. For expression in skin samples from example, P&G is measuring the the buttocks and forearms of effects on gene expression of a 10 young and 10 older women. In skin cream ingredient called older skin, they found a decrease pal-KT. Previous approaches in the expression of genes suggested it increased production
–Can we turn the clock back?–
of structural skin proteins like collagen and laminin. Gene analysis indicates it also affects the expression of genes involved in wound healing. P&G isn’t alone, cosmetics firm L’Oréal claims to have identified differences in the way genes in old and young skin respond to physical damage: changes in gene expression began just 6 hours after damage in young skin but took around 30 hours to kick in with older skin. What’s more, around 25 genes differ in their response to skin damage in young and old skin, says L’Oréal. Rigorous studies in people are needed to confirm that changing
gene expression in older skin to match younger skin improves skin quality. “You could find that a molecule is up or down-regulated, but whether that relates to a consumer noticing a difference is a big jump,” says Diona Damian at the University of Sydney, Australia. If new tools become available for assessing skin products, this could force cosmetics companies to back up claims about their products with hard evidence. “If you really want to bring cosmetics into the field of rigorous scientific evidence, genomics may be the best and most quantitative way of doing it,” says Labrie. Linda Geddes ■
27 June 2009 | NewScientist | 11
For daily news stories, visit www.NewScientist.com/news
How genes make our skin look older GENETIC analyses of human skin involved in cholesterol and fatty are revealing more about what acid synthesis. More surprisingly, makes us look old. As well as the opposite was true for genes throwing up ways to smooth away associated with inflammation wrinkles, the studies may provide and other components of the a quantifiable way to test claims immune system, suggesting that made for skin products. the immune system may play a In the past , cosmetics role in ageing. companies relied on subjective Treating the older skin with assessments of skin appearance, niacinamide, which helps skin and changes in its thickness, retain moisture, damped down colour and protein composition, expression of genes related to to evaluate the effectiveness of inflammation. “We believe that their products and work out the improving the barrier results in a quantities of ingredients needed ‘resignalling’ of key molecular to get the best results. “It was components of the skin,” says Jay totally hit and miss,” says Tiesman of P&G. Targeting this Rosemary Osborne of Procter and inflammation might one day Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. help to keep wrinkles at bay. The Now skin researchers, including findings will appear in the Journal those at P&G, are starting to use of Drugs in Dermatology in July. DNA microarrays, common in the Identifying a “genetic drugs industry, to measure the signature” of younger skin should expression of thousands of genes also provide a benchmark for in skin of different ages. “It’s a way of finding mechanisms that “In older skin there was an increase in the expression were not known before,” says of genes associated with Fernand Labrie, who studies skin inflammation” genomics at Laval University in Quebec City, Canada. P&G recently compared gene testing existing skin products. For expression in skin samples from example, P&G is measuring the the buttocks and forearms of effects on gene expression of a 10 young and 10 older women. In skin cream ingredient called older skin, they found a decrease pal-KT. Previous approaches in the expression of genes suggested it increased production
–Can we turn the clock back?–
of structural skin proteins like collagen and laminin. Gene analysis indicates it also affects the expression of genes involved in wound healing. P&G isn’t alone, cosmetics firm L’Oréal claims to have identified differences in the way genes in old and young skin respond to physical damage: changes in gene expression began just 6 hours after damage in young skin but took around 30 hours to kick in with older skin. What’s more, around 25 genes differ in their response to skin damage in young and old skin, says L’Oréal. Rigorous studies in people are needed to confirm that changing
gene expression in older skin to match younger skin improves skin quality. “You could find that a molecule is up or down-regulated, but whether that relates to a consumer noticing a difference is a big jump,” says Diona Damian at the University of Sydney, Australia. If new tools become available for assessing skin products, this could force cosmetics companies to back up claims about their products with hard evidence. “If you really want to bring cosmetics into the field of rigorous scientific evidence, genomics may be the best and most quantitative way of doing it,” says Labrie. Linda Geddes ■
27 June 2009 | NewScientist | 11