Skinarch and the art of building collagen

The peptide Skinarch (INCI: Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-72 Amide) allows brands to embrace the inclusive beauty trend by addressing two common features in all ethnicities – skin architecture and tensegrity. Tensegrity is key for collagen fibres and only a good network formation ensures it.

The peptide increases Mohawk, a novel key player in the field of cosmetics, which may be considered the architect of the skin, promoting the formation of new and well-organised collagen I and III fibres, together with collagen VI, for a proper biotensegrity which counteracts collagen fibril degeneration as we age. Skinarch also works on the four collagen families: fibrillar collagens; connecting and anchoring collagens; networkforming collagens and collagen-like membrane proteins.

The inclusive efficacy of Skinarch on skin architecture to fight against wrinkles and sagging has been proven in a varied panel of volunteers with light-pigmented (phototype II to III) and dark-pigmented (phototype V to VI) skin. Results showed Skinarch reduces crow’s feet wrinkles and roughness on the cheek area for both types of the phototype. The novel peptide also had an innovative restructuring and firming effect on the face architecture.

Methods

In the fibroblasts, a qPCR evaluated gene expression related to the four main collagen families: fibrillar collagens; connecting collagens; network collagens and collagen-like membrane proteins. Thereafter, an Elisa test was performed in the fibroblasts to evaluate the increase of the protein levels of two main upregulated genes – Mohawk and collagen VI.

Immunofluorescence was used to confirm the localisation of Mohawk (nucleus), being the newly identified protein (transcription factor). See Figure 1.

The study of spontaneous collagen fibril formation in the absence or presence of the peptide was performed using a turbidity test (phases determined according to fibrillogenesis reference curve).

Young and artificially aged human skin explants (sourced from a 54-year-old), were treated with the peptide for 10 days to evaluate collagen quality, density and the amount thereof; as well as the fibre thickness and organisation by TEM; and conventional dye binding.

In vitro and ex vivo results

Using NGS, the Mohawk homeobox gene was found, amongst others, to be upregulated 1.32-fold. This was validated via the Mohawk protein expression with a significant increase of 31%, 51% and 81% versus the placebo in a dose-response manner at 0.001mg/mℓ, 0.005mg/mℓ and 0.01mg/mℓ of Skinarch.

The qPCR demonstrated an upregulation of the fold change in the genes of the skin collagen families, such as fibrillar (1.16 COL3, 1.18 COL5), connecting (1.16 COL6, 1.45 COL7, 1.70 COL12, 1.38 COL14), networking (1.17 COL4) and collagen-like membrane proteins (1.20 COL13).

Since the Col6A1 gene is involved in the fibrillogenesis of type I collagen, an increase in protein levels was observed after incubation in the fibroblasts with 0.001mg/mℓ, 0.005mg/mℓ and 0.01mg/mℓ of the peptide for 48 hours.

Significant increases of 11%, 17% and 41% respectively, were observed versus the basal control.

Turbidity tests showed that the peptide was able to increase the velocity and the amount of spontaneous fibrils formation in a collagen solution, in a dose-response manner, as observed with 0.01mg/mℓ and 0.04mg/mℓ of the peptide.

The evaluation of collagen quality, density, amount, thickness and quantity and organisation of fibres evaluated with TEM, showed the peptide was able to improve those attributes, rejuvenating the skin’s architecture by 10 years (see Figure 2).