I believe genomics will revolutionize the way we develop new personal care actives and products in the future and help us gain fundamental insights into how skin functions and ages.
All applications of genomics had as its origins the human genome project whose main goals were to provide a complete and accurate sequence of the 3 billion DNA base pairs that make up the human genome and to identify the estimated 30,000 genes that make up human DNA. The project was formally launched in 1990 and was declared complete on April 14, 2003. It was the world’s largest collaborative biological project (1).
What makes us unique as humans are epigenome differences since 99.9% of our DNA is the same (2). Much of skin aging is now believed to be due to epigenetic changes caused by the wrong genes being turned on and good ones being turned off. All of us have a unique epigenome, even fraternal twins whose DNA is identical. Studies involving twins have shown that up to 60% of the skin aging between individuals can be attributed to genetic factors, with the remaining 40% due to non-genetic factors (6). Throughout our lifetime, our epigenome is constantly changing and everything we experience can have a negative or positive impact. This is significant since we know that epigenetic changes can be prevented or even reversed by good lifestyle choices such as exercising, proper diet, stress reduction, smoking cessation, having a positive attitude, and social interaction. Other approaches such as meditation, drugs, supplements, and topical treatments also are promising approaches to help people age gracefully while improving their quality of life. A Harvard epigenetic research study sponsored by Procter and Gamble demonstrated that skin treatment needs change with age. The study discovered that a woman’s skin ages differently during her lifetime: a decline in antioxidant response and chronic inflammation in her 20s, a decline in skin bioenergy in her 30s, an increase in cellular senescence in her 40s, a decline in skin barrier function in her 50s, and an acceleration of all the above in her 60s. Researchers also identified a unique genetic fingerprint among exceptional skin agers comprised of around 2,000 genes. These genes influence cellular energy production, cell junction and adhesion processes, skin and moisture barrier formation, DNA repair and replication, and antioxidant production. The study discovered how strongly these genes are expressed in the skin is different in exceptional skin agers and that the genes can be influenced by environmental factors, lifestyle choices and even skincare habits (3). There are numerous companies that can now test for many of these age-related epigenetic changes using saliva based tests. These include 23andMe, Skintelli (EpigenCare), and SkinDNA (Advanced Dermatology). A personalized list of skincare products is typically recommended based on the test results.
Measuring gene expression (which genes are turned off and on) using high throughput DNA microarrays and 3D skin cell cultures to evaluate active ingredients or complete skincare formulations are now being commonly used by both ingredient suppliers and personal care companies (4). This will dramatically improve the efficacy of skincare products in the future and lead to a greater understanding of biological skin mechanisms. For example we now know that there are at least 72 key proteins involved with skin aging of which 39 are involved in collagen/elastin metabolism and matrix metalloprotease production. Additionally, there are six proteins involved with hydration and 27 proteins related to the antioxidant capacity of the skin (6).
Genomics can be used to identify subjects likely to respond well to products or certain actives. Subjects in most clinicals can be broken down into 3 groups which fall into a typical bell curve distribution. By decreasing the number of low responders and identifying high responders clinical efficacy can be dramatically improved (typically-low 20-30%, average 40-60%, high 20-30%). Commercial skin repair actives for example can vary in efficacy from an average wrinkle depth reduction of 13% to a high of 63% on high responders.
Definitions (1,4)
- A Gene is a specific segment of DNA that contains information needed to create different kinds of proteins used to repair cells and make new ones. When the gene is activated, it is turned into RNA. Each cell expresses, or turns on, only a fraction of its genes. The rest of the genes are repressed or turned off. The process of turning genes on and off is known as gene regulation. Signals from the environment or from other cells activate proteins called transcription factors.
- RNA (ribonucleic acid) is a molecule, derived from DNA that either carries information (messenger RNA), provides sub-cellular structure (ribosomal RNA), transports amino acids (transfer RNA), or facilitates the biochemical modification of itself or other RNA molecules.
- A Genome is the complete DNA sequence of an organism. All cells in your body have the same Genome. Genomics is the study of an entire person’s genes (the genome) including interactions of those genes with each other and with the person’s environment.
- Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the compound that contains the instructions needed to develop and direct the activities of nearly all living organisms. DNA molecules are made of two twisting, paired strands, often referred to as a double helix. DNA is the “hardware” of our genome and contains coding information for about 30,000 genes. These genes create proteins that are the building blocks of all organisms. DNA in humans contains about six billion base pairs divided into 46 chromosomes, 23 each from the mother and father, plus a small amount of mitochondrial DNA.
- A Chromosome is a single chain of DNA that is supercoiled to form dense thread-like structures. Our DNA is composed of 3.2 billion base pairs grouped into 23 chromosome pairs per cell present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins.
- Epigenomics or “the software” of our genome refers to external factors that cause genes to be turned off or on. These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells “read” genes. There are 70 trillion cells in the body and each one has its own epigenome.
- A transcription factor is a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences (enhancer or promoter), either alone or with other proteins in a complex, to control the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA by promoting (serving as an activator) or blocking (serving as a repressor).
References
- https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/A-Brief-Guide-to-Genomics
- https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Genetics-vs-Genomics#:~:text=All%20human%20beings%20are%2099.9,about%20the%20causes%20of%20diseases
- https://holisticskincarepractitioners.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Langerveld_Presentation.pdf
- https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2015/06/10/mde-study-harvard/#:~:text=The%20study%20also%20discovered%20exactly,all%20the%20above%20(60s).
- https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Epigenetics
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4085290/#:~:text=Skin%20aging%20is%20a%20complex,due%20to%20non-genetic%20factors
The views, opinions and technical analyses presented here are those of the author or advertiser, and are not necessarily those of ULProspector.com or UL. The appearance of this content in the UL Prospector Knowledge Center does not constitute an endorsement by UL or its affiliates.
All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior authorization from UL or the content author.
The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. While the editors of this site may verify the accuracy of its content from time to time, we assume no responsibility for errors made by the author, editorial staff or any other contributor.
UL does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the content. UL does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of sites listed or linked to in any content.
Looking forward to know more about this technology
Thank you for such a detailed and interesting article. It has always surprised me when people in old age could look younger than their age. I’ve always wondered the only question – why? Now I know the answer to this question. I am not a biologist and did not know about such subtleties of our body, and only thanks to your article everything became more clear to me. Earlier, it always seemed to me that they might have this hereditary, but after your article, I realized that I can achieve similar results on my own. This gives me some hope that in old age I will also look wonderful.
This post was very well written, and it also contains a lot of useful facts. I enjoyed your distinguished way of writing the post. Thanks, you have made it easy for me to understand.