To the average person
and some experts collagen is viewed as most essential for maintaining
youthful skin. Indeed, collagen is important for the skin as it is the
principal structural protein holding the skin together thus giving it rigidity.
Yet, there is another skin protein that is at least as important: Elastin. Elastin is found predominantly in the walls of our arteries, in
our lungs,
intestines, and skin, as well as
in other elastic tissues. It is responsible for the ability of tissues to resume original
shape after being stretched. Elastin is also an important load-bearing tissue in the
bodies of mammals and used in places where mechanical energy is required to be
stored
Composition of Elastin
Elastin
is a large fibrous protein which is formed by spiral filaments than can be
compared to springs. Primarily composed of
the amino acids glycine, valine, alanine, and proline., it is produced by the
connective tissue cells called fibroblasts. (Fibroblasts is a type of cell that synthesizes and maintains the extracellular matrix of many animal tissues ) The spiral
filaments consist of peptidic (any of
various natural or synthetic compounds containing two or more amino acids
linked by the carboxyl group of one amino acid to the amino group of another.)
chains that can stretch out. After
stretching out, the molecules resume their original shape due to this cross
linking which is essential to molecular elasticity.
Elastin and the Aging Process
One simple test for skin
aging is to check how long it takes for the skin to snap back after being
pinch-pulled away. Young skin snaps back almost immediately. The old one takes
up to several seconds. The reason for such difference is quantity and quality
of elastin in the skin. Normally
the body stops making elastin once the body reaches maturity soon
after puberty.
In other words, once the body has made elastin, our natural supply is no longer
renewed. Elastic fibers progressively degenerate and separate into fragments as
we age. The skin progressively loses its elasticity and lines and wrinkles
start appearing. The aging of our elastic tissue
cannot be avoided and is part of our physiological aging process. This process
begins relatively early peeking in our adolescence and early adult hood, but
accelerates considerably after age of 40. Fibroblasts in older skin have a much reduced capacity to produce
new elastin. This deficiency does not appear to be a result of the loss of
fibroblasts or mutations in elastin-encoding genes. More likely, age-related
changes in the skin's biochemical environment shut down elastin production. Therefore,
at least in theory, elastin production can be restored to its youthful levels
with proper biochemical signals.
Rejuvenating the elastin in your skin
Boosting elastin in the
skin is a somewhat neglected topic in skin care. In part, this is a result of
excessive focus of cosmetic industry and dermatologic research on collagen -
arguably at the expense of elastin. Since damage to elastin is associated with
different diseases, scientists are trying to find ways to replace the lost
elastin. Creams and lotions are available which contain elastin for the skin.
Scientists are working on gene therapy to introduce the gene which makes
elastin, into the body and try and make it produce elastin, to replace the lost
and/or damaged elastin.
Below are possible “antidotes”, but
none with enough scientific backing to claim definitive results.
Retinoic acid
Retinoic acid (a.k.a.
tretinoin, Retin A, Renova) There is some ground to believe that topical
retinoids may stimulate elastin synthesis in the human skin. But any definitive
research to that effect is lacking.
MMP inhibitors
Skin rejuvenation is not
just about producing more of the key components of the skin matrix, such as
collagen and elastin. It is also about protecting the one you have from
excessive degradation. Such degradation is caused primarily by the enzymes
matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). There are many types of MMP and some are
involved in breaking down elastin: Inhibiting these MMP may increase the skin
content of elastin by reducing the rate of its degradation.
Controlled tissue
injury procedures
Some skin rejuvenation
procedures (e.g. lasers or medium-to-deep peels) work by inducing controlled
tissue injury followed by skin remodeling, which leads to increased production
of new skin matrix and skin remodeling. The predominant protein produced during
healing is collagen but the synthesis of elastin increases as well. However,
whether such procedures lead to the sustained improvement in the density and
quality of elastin in the skin remains unclear.
Topical tropoelastin
As we discussed earlier,
fibroblasts synthesize the immature soluble form of elastin (tropoelastin),
which then permeates the dermis and fuses into an elastic web. Tropoelastin is a water soluble
molecule. Multiple tropoelastin molecules covalently bind together with
crosslinks to form elastin. So could a topical form be applied to the skin? Large molecules like tropoelastin generally do
not penetrate into the dermis easily enough to produce clinically significant
effects. Some skin penetration is occasionally possible even for large
molecules, including certain proteins. However, the claims that topical
tropoelastin restores youthful levels of dermal elastin will require solid,
independent scientific evidence before they can be taken seriously.
Ethocyn
Ethocyn
(ethoxyhexyl-bicyclooctanone) is a small molecule that easily penetrates into
the dermis. It is claimed to specifically increase the synthesis of elastin to
the levels seen in early adulthood. At present, the evidence backing such
claims appears sparse.
Source: smartskincare.com
|
