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Peptides: What Are They and What Do They Do?
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Jan 12, 2010
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! My new year's resolution is to keep my letters brief! Some people have complained (well, mostly my husband) that I tend to go on and on. Wait a minute; I'm not sure he's talking about my newsletters! :-) If you're like me, you probably get bombarded daily with hundreds of e-mails as well as newspapers, magazines, internet articles, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to drink from a fire hose in this age of information overload. I sympathize with you! Coupon Alert! If you don't want to read this whole letter, be sure to check out the coupon at the end by clicking here.
So, let's get down to business. No, first, a story:
I was reflecting on my practice while at the gym last week. Yes, every new year I resolve to get to the gym at least once a quarter. Now I'm good till April. :-) So, I'm in the gym, trudging along on the treadmill, watching my favorite guilty pleasure show, "Real Housewives of Orange County" on the flatscreen. (Actually, it's my second favorite; Real Housewives of NYC is the best!). Anyway, there's no sound, and I can't read the subtitles, so I have to guess at what's going on.
There is this brunette who is talking to the camera. I remember her; she had once said how important it was to her to take care of herself. I had found that amusing because she had obviously not taken any care of her skin. I could see the sun damage from the couch.
Anyway, she was now with her teenage daughter and they were apparently in a plastic surgeon's office. OK, the skin thing has caught up with her. She's pointing to her lips, then her cheeks, then her eyes, then somewhere else.......In the next scene, she and her daughter are getting dual massages at a spa. Next, she and a bunch of friends are trying on hats in a fancy store. Now I remember the episode; they are going to go to the races that weekend in a giant limo and have to have new hats. I got off the treadmill and just wondered one thing; what planet are these women from?? And can I get on it? Please??
On second thought, never mind.
All kidding aside, these women do have something in common with us real folks; they want to look their best and even they have to fight the ravages of time and sun. But before I go on I just want to say thank you to all my lovely patients for being down to earth people and nothing like the divas on that show!
OK, now we'll really get down to business. In my last letter, I talked about what we can do to prevent and repair free radical damage from the sun with retinoids and antioxidants. To read that article, click here. (I'll warn you; it was long). Today, I will discuss peptides. Science alert! If you wish, you may now skip to the paragraph labeled "Products" here.
"Peptides" are another buzzword these days It seems that more and more skin care products contain them. What are they? Well, peptides are short chains of amino acids that mimic sequences of larger proteins such as collagen and elastin. They can have a variety of biological effects in the skin. Research of bioactive peptides in wound healing led to their application to the treatment of skin aging.
Several groups of these peptides have been found to have positive effects on collagen synthesis in the skin. The first group, called signal peptides, are short amino acid chains that have been shown to stimulate skin fibroblasts to synthesize new collagen. The most well known of these peptides is a five chain amino acid, or pentapeptide, that is found in Olay Regenerist and Stri-Vectin products.
A second group, called carrier peptides, deliver copper to the cells. Copper is a necessary cofactor for collagen synthesis. A three amino acid chain, or tripeptide, has been shown to facilitate copper uptake into cells, thus enhancing collagen formation. This tripeptide is present in many skin care products, such as the Neutrogena Visibly Firm line.
A third type of peptide is a hexapeptide called argireline. It has been shown to inhibit neurotransmitter activity; thus having a weak effect on muscles similar to Botox®. (This sounds great, but the molecule is rather large and it is unclear how much of it actually penetrates deep enough to get to the nerve endings in the skin.)
Research into peptides is rapidly advancing, and we should be seeing many new applications for skin health. For instance, a new peptide called oligopeptide 10 has antibacterial and antifungal activity, making it useful in the treatment of acne and seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff). Potential new areas of research involve using peptides to counteract inflammatory processes, as in rosacea, and in the modulation of pigment synthesis. The fact that so many natural processes in the body are signaled or modulated by peptides and proteins, along with the relative ease of the technology to synthesize and substitute amino acid sequences, make this a very exciting field and I look forward to many more applications in the future.
Peptides do not tend to irritate the skin and can be used in addition to retinoids for the treatment of skin aging, and may enhance tolerability of retinoids.
 Products: Our office currently carries three peptide containing products: Cega Eye Area Peptide Restorative Complex is a rich hydrating eye cream with collagen stimulating peptides. Theramoist is a lightweight moisturizer for acne prone skin that contains the antibacterial oligopeptide 10. Hydrapeptide gel is a lightweight moisturizing gel containing hyaluronic acid and collagen stimulating peptides. It can be used alone or under other products. For more information, see our moisturizer page here.
I will soon be offering a new peptide product called Lumixyl, which has been shown to be quite effective in decreasing pigment production. This product is very exciting and will be a nice alternative to prescription hydroquinone. I'll let you know when I get it in stock.
I wish all of you a very happy new year, and I look forward to seeing you soon! Thanks for reading!
Kathy Farady
Balcones Dermatology
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Katherine Farady, M.D.
phone:459-4869
David: ext 19
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$25.00 Off Any laser or Intense Pulsed Light Treatment
(minimum $150.00)
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Offer Expires: Feb 12, 2010
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