Sirtuin

Scientists Work to Add Sirtuin Boosters to the Latest Anti-Aging Skin Care Products

I can't find much on SIRT1 on the internet, and was wondering if you could actually apply it to your skin, and your skin would absorb it, and if there was any anti-aging value to it.

It is not sold in stores in my area. Have you done any research on it, or know anything about it?

Thanks

Amy

What is SIRT1?

Sirtuins are a very hot topic in anti-aging research. I've been reading quite a bit about them and specifically about SIRT1 which is the form found in humans.

Sirtuins are a family of enzymes that regulate gene activity and cellular life spans. SIRT1 stands for Silent Information Regulation Two homolog 1.

Sirtuins prolong the life of fibroblasts - the little machines which manufacture collagen. They do this by suppressing excess gene activity and boosting antioxidant activity.

Think of a voltage regulator which is used to protect your electrical equipment from power surges. Without the regulator, excess electrical energy would damage and eventually burn out your TV or computer.

Without sirtuins to regulate the energy flow to the fibroblasts, they too burn out and die faster than may be necessary.

The cosmeceutical research being done with sirtuins does not involve smearing SIRT1 on the skin. As you suggest that probably wouldn't work because, just as slathering collagen on the skin does nothing more than moisturize, the molecules are too large to penetrate.

Even if the molecules could penetrate (perhaps through nanotechnology), it isn't likely that the body would accept them and just put them to work like a new shift of workers.

Sirtuin Research Results

The cosmeceutical research being done with sirtuins involves finding compounds, primarily peptides, which promote activity of the body's own sirtuin. Peptides are small enough to penetrate the skin's epidermal layer.

Read about the pro-sirtuin activity of Heptatpeptide-6 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10 in my Cosmeceutical Peptide Glossary.

I am not as skeptical as some about research funded by reputable cosmetic companies. Companies like Dior, Avon and Lauder pour hundreds of millions of dollars annually into state-of-the-art research facilities and studies.

Their scientists are highly qualified. I understand that independent labs simply cannot fund the type of cosmeceutical research we Age Warriors want to see. They are too busy looking for cures for cancer and such.

So I review the research funded by cosmetic companies with a grain of salt but also with great interest. Last June's Journal of Drugs in Dermatology published a study of the pro-sirtuin activity of Kluyveromyces yeast biopeptide which is contained in Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Cream.

The research was conducted by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Recherché research lab in France which develops products for Dior.

Thirty-three woman (average age 51.6 years) applied a 1% yeast biopeptide cream to the face and neck once a day for four weeks. All measurements (clinical evaluations by dermatologists, as well as objective mathematical calculations) showed significant anti-aging effects.

To quote the study: "facial improvements could be seen on fine lines and wrinkles, hydration, pigmented spot color intensity, complexion radiance, firmness, complexion homogeneity, and texture. Improvement in hydration was significant immediately after the first application. Skin-pixel measurement and analysis show a significant reduction of the gray variance linked to pixel heterogeneity (-4.2%) and a significant reduction of the surface of skin imperfections (-30.4%)."

The gray variance analysis is somewhat like calculating a mountain's height from a topographical map.

Wrinkles appear as darker gray pixels. Every shade of gray has a numerical value. Calculating the reduced spectrum of gray shades and the degree of discrete gray pixel lightening after treatment translate respectively into a 4.2% reduction in wrinkle depth and a 30.4% overall smoothing of the skin's surface.

If you're wondering why the French scientists believe these results are attributable to increased sirtuin activity specifically, that is demonstrated by the in vitro and ex vivo tests which they conducted in Petri dishes.

They found "1) significantly increased SIRT1 expression in normal human dermal skin fibroblasts in vitro (+172%) and in epidermal cells of healthy human skin ex vivo and 2) decreased cell senescence and DNA fragmentation induced by ultraviolet-B (UVB) stress."

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème

The ads I've read for Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème don't claim that it contains SIRT1, but rather that it contains a compound named Resveratrate which the company has trademarked (so we don't know exactly what the components are).

Lauder says it is a "more potent, stable and time-released form of Resveratrol, and was shown by in vitro testing to provide six times more protection from environmental damage, more than doubling the survival rate of skin cells."

Resveratrol is not a peptide and I haven't seen much on its topical use. Several studies suggest that topical resveratrol has potential utility as a chemoprotective agent against skin cancer.

Resveratrol is a plant form of estrogen and when ingested acts as an antioxidant, anti-mutagen and anti-inflammatory. It is found in red wine, dark grapes, plums, peanuts and some other plants and is widely believed to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease.

A 2004 study by Howitz and Zirkin of BIOMOL International, based in Plymouth Meeting PA, demonstrated that resveratrol increases SIRT1 activity in vitro and that it significantly extends the life span of yeast and mice.

I withhold my opinion on Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème until details of the research are released.

Where to Find Pro-Sirtuin Ingredients

In addition to Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection Cream, pro-sirtuin peptides are found in Avon Ultimate Age Repair Cream and Avon Ultimate Age Repair Elixir.

Resveratrol is found in Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème but, as you noted, the cream is difficult to find in many areas.

It is now sold on Amazon, which is where you will be taken of you click the link

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.