Tri-peptide GHK reverses gene expression associated with lung emphysema

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, known as lung emphysema, leads to the obstruction of airways, inflammation, destruction of lung tissue and significant reduction of lung capacity. Recently an impressive collaborative research by scientists from Boston University, University of Groningen (Netherlands), University of British Columbia and University of Pennsylvania identified 127 genes whose expression is significantly associated with emphysema severity. Among those genes whose expression was elevated were genes involved in inflammation, while expression of genes involved in repair was markedly decreased. A search for compounds that could reverse adverse changes in gene expression yielded the tri-peptide GHK (Gly-His-Lys) as the most likely candidate.

Using the Connectivity Map, which allows researchers to conduct a sweeping search for gene modifying compounds, they established that the tri-peptide GHK reduced expression of genes involved in lung destruction and inflammation, while activating those genes involved in tissue repair. Furthermore, when lung fibroblasts from emphysema lungs were incubated with the GHK peptide, they showed great improvement in their function. If before the GHK peptide treatment lung fibroblasts from emphysema lung were not able to successfully remodel collagen and assemble it into fibrils, after addition of only 10 nanomolar GHK, their function was fully restored.

The GHK peptide discovered by Dr. Pickart is well known for its ability to remodel aging skin, reduce inflammation and scarring, improve skin tone and elasticity, as well as reduce mottled pigmentation and skin laxity. This new research sheds light on some mechanisms of its beneficial action. By activating genes associated with tissue repair and remodeling and inhibiting genes involved in inflammation and tissue destruction, the tri-peptide GHK may indeed reverse changes associated with skin aging, restoring beautiful and radiant skin appearance.

Skin Care Advce

The woes of hair removal and how to avoid them

When it comes to shaving, men have a big advantage over women. Why? Because they do not have to be discreet about it. Such obvious after-shave signs as hair stubble, “afternoon shadow”, even red bumps and razor nicks are not only acceptable, but expected on male skin. Yet, they should never be seen on a female face and body.

In our culture, a woman is expected to have smooth and hairless skin without any signs of recent hair removal. While unwanted facial and body hair deters attention from the beauty of feminine skin, so do such signs as skin irritation, red bumps and hair stubble.  This is not fair, because no matter what method of hair removal you chose – shaving, waxing, mechanical or chemical depilation – they all inevitable cause skin damage, which can lead to irritation and ingrown hair.

Waxing – removes the upper layer of the skin, disrupting the skin’s barrier, causing irritation and increased skin sensitivity.

Chemical depilation – employs highly acidic chemicals that damage skin and cause irritation.

Shaving – damages upper skin layer, disrupting the skin’s barrier. Leaves microscopic nicks and scratches that become an open gate for irritants, toxins and infection.

Plucking of hair – damages the hair follicle’s wall, may cause irritation. 

Also all method of hair removal increase skin’s sensitivity to the UV-radiation and may cause hyper pigmentation.

To prevent complication of hair removal and ensure that your skin looks smooth and beautiful after all methods of hair removal, use skin barrier protectants such as Emu Oil and Squalane immediately after completing your hair removal.

Don’t go sunbathing immediately after hair removal. Use sun protective cream with antioxidants and titanium dioxide to prevent hyper pigmentation.

Don’t forget to exfoliate your skin regularly between the hair removal sessions (never do it immediately after hair removal). Using mild exfoliators such as Lactic Power 10 with lactic acid helps to even out the skin surface ensuring smooth shaving and preventing ingrown hair.

Finally, make sure to apply copper peptide based products such as Super GHK Copper Cream and Serum, Bioheal Cream or CP serum  to reduce visible signs of irritation, help your skin repair minor scratches and nicks, and maintain its smooth and glowing appearance.

Scientifically speaking

Take out the garbage, take care of wrinkles

 Aging of our skin, just like aging of every tissue of our body, is a complex, multifaceted process. Slowly, day by day, our cells accumulate damage, lose an ability to control their metabolic functions and repair damage, generate more and more errors in their genetic code. We may not notice that our internal organs are aging, but skin aging process is difficult to miss and often impossible to ignore, because of unsightly wrinkles, pigmented spots, loss of elasticity and fading of complexion.

Fortunately, today we know much more about the aging process than our ancestors did and can devise more and more sophisticated ways to take care of our skin and delay aging. In delving deeper and deeper into the complexities of aging mechanism, we often overlook something very simple – taking care of the garbage.

Yes, it is true, even the most exclusive beauty produces plenty of garbage. We are not talking here about plastic bags and wrappers. The garbage that threatens the beauty and youth of our skin is produced inside its cells. Let’s take a look at the most common type of cell garbage that your skin desperately needs to get rid of.

Oxidized proteins and other biological molecules – accumulate due to free radical damage. We all need oxygen to breathe and to derive energy from biological molecules, but in the process we produce plenty of strong oxidants, that can attack proteins of our cells. Since it is very difficult to repair damaged protein, they need to be destroyed, so the cell could replace them with new proteins. When the cell is able to effectively remove damaged proteins, it keeps its metabolic processes smooth and fast. However, when the cell is slow in getting rid of oxidized proteins, its metabolism slows down and its functions suffer.

Products of fatty acid peroxidation – unsaturated fatty acids (essential fatty acids) are very susceptible to oxidation. The products of their oxidation include such chemicals as alpha,beta-4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal and acrolein – extremely toxic and destructive to the cell.  

Age pigments is a group of brown pigments that accumulate in aging cells. They include brown products of reaction between sugars and proteins (advanced glycation endproducts or AGE) and lipofuscin – a pigment produced, when toxic products from fatty acid peroxidation react with proteins. Age pigments may accumulate in skin, resulting in age spots or liver spots.

Xenobiotics –toxins that are man-made. They are everywhere and many of them, unfortunately can be found in cosmetic products. Since xenobiotics started enetering our metabo,ism only recently, our body is poorly equipped to defend itself against them. There is a very few enzymes that are capable to destroy and neutralize xenobiotics.

The good news is that there is a natural compound that is able to help you get rid of unwanted and destructive toxins as well as prevent their accumulation. This is the tripeptide GHK (INCI: tripeptide-1), which is naturally produced in our body – first in abundance when we are young and then in lesser and lesser quantities. The GHK tripeptide is able to:

·                     Neutralize toxic products of fatty acid peroxidation,

·                     Protect the cells from oxidative damage,

·                     Remove lipofuscin and protect the cell from advanced glycation,

·                     Boost the level of important antioxidant enzymes.

In addition, it supplies copper for some enzymes that detoxify xenobiotics. Recent genetic studies showed its ability to restore cell’s ability to eliminate oxidized proteins by activating genes of ubiquitin-proteasome system – cell’s garbage processing station, which takes apart damaged proteins, so they could be used for rebuilding new molecules.  

Using cosmetic product with GHK and other copper-peptides, we can speed up garbage removal from our cells and assure long lasting beauty and youth of our skin.

Scientifically speaking

Is copper in my cosmetic products dangerous?

This is an important question. Even though copper is absolutely vital and irreplaceable element that is involved in dozen of physiological processes, it may generate free radicals if hydrogen peroxide or ascorbic acid is present. Since free radicals can damage DNA and trigger cell death, prevention of such reactions is of outmost importance.

It has been long proposed that in the organism copper is immediately rendered harmless and transformed into innocuous bio-copper with the help of a number of small copper binding peptides. Because of their ability to safely wrap-up so much needed copper and to deliver it exactly where it is needed, such peptides ensure proper work of cellular machinery, producing significant reparative, rejuvenating and protective effects (which is exactly why you may want copper in your cosmetics). Recently, two studies confirmed the fact that copper is absolutely harmless and produces only beneficial effects, when bound to certain copper-peptides.

In one study, researchers investigated the structure and properties of the GHK-Cu complex. They proved, using a variety of methods that copper ions loses all ability to trigger free radical reactions, when bound to GHK. They also demonstrated that GHK-Cu can give away its copper ions as needed to support beneficial processes.

In another study, Japanese scientists established that a number of copper peptides including GGH peptide (Gly-Gly-His), which is similar to the GHK peptide, successfully prevented oxidative damage of DNA in the presence of copper, ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

When you eat copper-rich food, your food usually naturally contains copper binding peptides. Also, copper that passes into bloodstream quickly binds to large copper-carrying proteins, which carry it like cargo trains. However, when you use cosmetics, it is very important to make sure that it contains right kinds of copper binding proteins. In Skin Biology we use the GHK-Cu peptide, which has almost four decades of extensive research to back its safety and efficacy, as well as a second generation copper-peptides These peptides have well established skin remodeling and reparative power, as well as an unsurpassed ability to ensure complete safety and targeted delivery of copper ions. By selecting the right kind of ingredients, you can ensure that your skin will receive the full spectrum of benefit of copper – including wrinkle repair and new collagen synthesis – without any risk of side effects.

Hureau C., Eury H., Guillot R., Bijani C., Sayen S., Solari P.L., Guillon E., Faller P., Dorlet P.X-ray and solution structures of Cu(II) GHK and Cu(II) DAHK complexes: influence on their redox properties. Chem. Eur. J., 2011, 17, 10151-60

Yokawa K, Kagenishi T, Kawano T. Prevention of oxidative DNA degradation by copper-binding peptides. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2011;75(7):1377-9.

Product highlight

Diabetic Skin Therapy Cream

Diabetes can manifest itself in many organs including skin. Having too much glucose in your blood for too long may disrupt your skin natural repair circle and cause extreme dryness, cracking, inflammation and other problems.

While the Skin Biology products are not intended to cure or prevent diabetes, they can give your skin a welcome relief, creating an environment that supports healing and restores natural suppleness and softness of your skin.

Our diabetic Skin Therapy Cream designed with unique needs of diabetic skin in mind contains copper peptides, squalane, vegetable glycerin, amino acids leucin and glycine, aloe vera leaf juice, mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols, lycopene, lutein, astaxanthin and coenzyme Q10.

Copper peptides are small protein molecules that have high affinity for copper and are able to deliver it into the skin safely and promptly. Since skin needs copper to heal, such compounds have pronounced ability to improve skin’s repair. The first copper peptide was the tripeptide GHK-Cu discovered by Dr. Loren Pickart. GHK-Cu is renowned for its ability to facilitate skin healing, and was especially effective in treatment of difficult-to-heal skin lesions, such as ischemic wounds and wounds in diabetic experimental animals. Copper peptides work gently by activating your skin’s natural repair circle and awakening its dormant resources.

Squalane – is a natural component of your skin oil. It has excellent lubricating and protective properties instantly soothing and softening extremely dry skin.

Glycerin obtained from vegetable sources is a component of skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). It hydrates the skin by binding water at its surface. It also is required for proper functioning of aquaporins – protein molecules that serves as water channels in your skin cells.

Aloe Vera gel (Aloe leaf juice) - is Nature’s own moisturizer and immune system stimulant. It contains water binding polysaccharides that activate immune cells, promoting healing and reducing inflammation and redness.

Antioxidant mix – the cream contains a powerful antioxidant mixture that includes various forms of vitamin E (mixed tocopherols and tooctrienols), carotenoids lutein and lycopene as well as a coenzyme Q10, which protect cell’s energetic stations (mitochondria) from free radical damage. Antioxidant mix reduces redness, soothes irritation, reliefs itching and promotes natural healing.

Your skin is endowed with regenerative power. It may be impeded by toxins, stresses and illnesses, but it cannot be extinguished. By carefully babying your skin, creating a special supportive, protective and stimulating environment, you can awaken those dormant reparative forces and then stand back and allow then to do their job. Our Diabetic Therapy Cream designed to relieve skin dryness, while supporting its natural repair forces with the power of copper peptides, aloe polysaccharides and natural antioxidants.

Diabetic skin cream cannot cure diabetes, but it can help your skin to feel and look better.

Scientifically speaking

Stem cells from plants – do they work?

If you follow recent cosmetic innovations and are first to pack a cream or serum boasting a new and intriguing ingredient, you couldn’t miss an impressive newcomer – plant derived stem cells. According to cosmetic manufacturers they are endowed with a regenerative power, possess high antioxidant capacity, are able to invigorate and rejuvenate your cells thus turning your skin into a picture of youth and beauty. But just as it usually is with any novel cosmetic ingredient it is prudent to ask – do they actually work?

To answer this question, let’s first take a look at the human stem cells, which remain a fascination and a source of hope for scientists and general public alike. These cells are unique, because they are capable of differentiating into cell any of the body, helping to repair damaged organs and tissues. True stem cells have to be derived from human embryos – a source many people believe is unethical. Less controversial, but also somewhat less potent type of stem cells is called epidermal stem cells and can be derived from special areas in the skin, which contain undifferentiated, multipotent cells.

Not only stem cells are capable of differentiating into many other cells needed for repair, but they also produce important molecular regulators, which can stimulate grow and reverse some aging signs in adult cells. This is why cosmetic industry kept eyeing stem cell technology trying to find some way of using it. There are some companies that actually offer frozen stem cells, however, there is no way to prove what exactly their products contain and whether or not they can do any good.

This is why plant stem technology seems so promising. Plants contain stem cells in their meristem areas – special areas in the stem, roots and buds, from which new plant tissue grows. The easiest way to obtain these cells is to damage the plant tissue and then collect and culture the new growth tissue. Today meristem plant culture is available for many plants such as raspberry, apple, edelweiss, tomatoes, Echinacea etc. The advantages of such method is that the cells grow under fully controlled conditions, so you can make sure they do not contain pesticides, heavy metals and other toxins. It also allows sustainable eco-friendly practices, since it can grow cells from a small part of a plant, so a rare plant can be left intact in the wild.

Plant stem cells often contain the same biologically active compounds as the plants from which they are derived – often in higher concentrations. For example, tomato stem cell extract is more effective in detoxifying heavy metals than old fashioned tomato extract. In addition, they may contain growth factors and signal molecules that are typical for high-potency stem cells. Even though plants are very different from humans, it has been long established that many growth factors and other biologically active molecules work eually well in all cells regardless of the species.

However, at the present moment it is not clrear whether or not plant stem cells can do something beyond being an eco-friendly, clean and potent source of plant derived chemicals remains to be investigated.  Up to date there are no independent studies and clinical trials, which would support the idea that plant stem cells can indeed rejuvenate, stimulate and invigorate your skin’s stem cells and breathe new life into your old cells. So if this is your goal, we would advise you to complement your plant stem cells based products with ingredients that have been extensively studied and demonstrated their regulating and rejuvenating activity.

One of such ingredients is the tripeptide GHK-Cu that recently was shown to re-charge and reinvigorate epidermal stem cells, increasing their ability to repair the skin.   In addition, we now know that it prevents age-related silencing of many important human genes, increases collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, protects skin from harmful free radicals, reduces inflammation and possesses many other vital rejuvenating activities.

In short, plant derived stem cells are attractive and potent ingredients, which may be more effective than conventional plant extracts, however, we need to wait for more studies to show whether or not they have rejuvenating power beyond the biological activity of their original plant source.

Scientifically speaking

The Silence of the Genes

In recent years, scientists became fascinated with a new mechanism of aging that works similarly for every organ and tissue. This new mechanism is called epigenetic modifications and imply changes in our DNA that result from impaired gene regulation. In other words epigenetic modifications are changes in the DNA that do not require rewriting of the genetic code. What happens is merely silencing or inhibition of a certain genes that are normally active in young tissues. This can affect for example repair enzymes that normally promptly fix any damage caused by environmental factors. It could be genes responsible for synthesis of collagen or other important proteins. Or it can be genes that produce anti-inflammatory substances. Today we know that many widespread toxins, including those that can be found in cosmetics, can silence those important genes increasing inflammation and speeding up aging. However, there are other compounds – some of them are also found in cosmetics – that can reverse these changes by reactivating silenced genes.

Recent studies showed that some well known plant antioxidants such as flavonoids that are long used in skin care for prevention of oxidative stress and inflammation can actually reverse harmful epigenetic changes. However, most plant compounds are active in relatively high concentrations and act better when consumed, not applied to the skin.  Another emerging epigenetic modifier is the tri-peptide GHK-Cu. More and more evidence points to the fact that this small molecule can be a new hero of anti-aging medicine. First, all experimental data indicates that its effects on the cells and tissues are very positive – it helps to regenerate tissues, repair damage and reverse many age-related changes. Second, it appears to control a large number of human genes. It even can re-activate some silenced genes. Third, it is active at a very low micro and nanomolar concentrations. And finally, it is able to pass the skin layers, which many other compounds cannot do. To the best of our knowledge, none of the other compound used in today’s cosmetics possesses all three qualities at once. So next time, you dab on your favorite GHK-Cu based cream, think of your genes that could be silenced by harmful environmental toxins, and all of a sudden, they have a VOICE. Once again, your skin can manufacture all the essential enzymes and proteins to remain beautiful and radiant.