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.
