
Japanese study uncovers protein that keeps skin youthful - clouddrover
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/04/national/science-health/japanese-study-uncovers-protein-keeps-skin-youthful-helping-strong-cells-squeeze-weak/
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gyaniv
The (original articles) title is a bit misleading. They only verified the
importance of a specific protein and then found compounds that for mice helped
the boost protein production in mice, they still need a lot more research to
find something that would help human skin look youthful.

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DennisP
That makes it sound like it's still only theory that it would benefit mice.
But they actually tried it:

> They isolated two chemical compounds — Y27632 and apocynin — and tested both
> on skin cells, with positive results. “Application of these drugs to full-
> thickness skin wounds significantly promoted wound repair,” the study said.

~~~
Filligree
What a time to be a mouse.

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telesilla
There is SERIOUS money to be made in the beauty market. I do not succumb, but
the majority of my girlfriends purchase a large variety of face products at
the cost of hundreds per year. Many of the products are unscientific (and
fortunately don't do any harm) but abound with rejuvenation property claims. A
product that might actually work? Wow.

~~~
shlant
> "Many of the products are unscientific (and fortunately don't do any harm)
> but abound with rejuvenation property claims."

For example: it's amazing to me how many facial products such as face masks
contain collagen.

Do people think that your body just takes collagen from your epidermis and
adds it to your skin?

~~~
PedroBatista
Most people don’t think that much. They see the ad, see the brand and maybe
check validation with their girlfriends.

~~~
shlant
sure, but it's not just skin products. The Paleo/Keto/Bulletproof movement is
gung-ho on the supposed miracle that is bone broth. From claims that collagen
in the diet equals collagen in the body to unique/magical properties of
whatever they think it contains are rampant. Drinks, protein powders,
supplements - it's everywhere. Just like eating a lot of protein doesn't make
you ripped, I would think more people would understand that even though the
saying is "you are what you eat", it's not LITERAL.

~~~
circlefavshape
It is literal. Everything you are made out of is something you have eaten

That doesn't mean that eating muscles makes you muscular though obvs (any more
than eating mussels makes you mussel-ar)

~~~
shlant
> "That doesn't mean that eating muscles makes you muscular though obvs (any
> more than eating mussels makes you mussel-ar)"

Yea that's what I meant by literal, as in you aren't a pig if you eat pigs,
you aren't muscular if you eat muscle. You are made up of the building blocks
of the thing you ate, but that does not make you the thing itself.

Maybe literal wasn't the right word? Anyways, doesn't really matter.

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est31
Link to paper:
[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332186913_Stem_cell...](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332186913_Stem_cell_competition_orchestrates_skin_homeostasis_and_ageing)

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katakuchi
“We are working on other epithelial organs as well to find out (whether)
similar competition may underlie long-term tissue maintenance as well as organ
aging,” she said." Wonder if this will be benificial to live-expectancy in the
long run.

~~~
vanderZwan
Yeah, this sounds more like a starting point to general regeneration than just
looking youthful:

> _“Application of these drugs to full-thickness skin wounds significantly
> promoted wound repair,” the study said._

I guess scars might be a thing of the past in a generation or two as well.

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DevKoala
I wonder how this protein can affect tissue with cancer cells.

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inflatableDodo
So - "They isolated two chemical compounds — Y27632 and apocynin — and tested
both on skin cells, with positive results."

Search for Apocynin first...

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocynin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocynin)

"Apocynin was first described by Oswald Schmiedeberg, a German pharmacologist,
in 1883 and was first isolated by Horace Finnemore,[1] in 1908, from the root
of Canadian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum).[2] At the time, this plant was already
used for its known effectiveness against edema and heart problems."

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocynum_cannabinum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocynum_cannabinum)

"Apocynum cannabinum (dogbane, amy root, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, Indian
hemp, rheumatism root, or wild cotton)[2] is a perennial herbaceous plant that
grows throughout much of North America - in the southern half of Canada and
throughout the United States.[1][3] It is a poisonous plant: Apocynum means
"poisonous to dogs". All parts of the plant are poisonous and can cause
cardiac arrest if ingested."

...

"Apocynum cannabinum was much employed by various Native American tribes who
used it to treat a wide variety of complaints including rheumatism, coughs,
pox, whooping cough, asthma, internal parasites, diarrhoea and also to
increase milk flow in lactating mothers.[6] The root has been used as a tonic,
cardiotonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic (induces vomitting) and
expectorant.[9][6] It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. The
fresh root is the most active part medicinally."

And it seems to be one of the medicinal plants that the north American locals
have known about long before Europeans rocked up.

Then if I search for Y27632, I get stuff like;

[https://www.reprocell.com/small-
molecules-c1/stemolecule-y27...](https://www.reprocell.com/small-
molecules-c1/stemolecule-y27632-p221)

"Y27632 is a cell-permeable small molecule Rho-associated kinase (ROCK)
inhibitor1. Y27632 has been found to prevent apoptosis as well as enhance the
survival and cloning efficiency of dissociated human embryonic stem (ES) cells
without affecting their self-renewal properties or pluripotency2. This
molecule has also been shown to enhance survival during the transplantation of
ES cell-derived neural precursors3. Y27632 in combination with Pifithrin-u
significantly improves cell recovery after cryopreservation"

Does anybody here know what the similarities are likely to be between those
two compounds and if Apocynum has already being used dermatalogically? Given
the history it seems very unlikey that it wouldnt have already been made into
a topical skin cream by someone before now. I'm also guessing that the people
who make Y27632 are going to be cranking up production right about now and
giggling a lot.

~~~
PierredeFermat
From a comment here ([https://news.nukleosome.com/t/anti-aging-discovery-
could-lea...](https://news.nukleosome.com/t/anti-aging-discovery-could-lead-
to-restorative-skin-treatments/700)) quoting the study authors:

"We selected candidate chemicals that potentially increased the stem cell
property [Apocynin] or reduced production of reactive oxygen species
[Y-27632]"

~~~
inflatableDodo
Thanks. I find it interesting that they are reporting success hitting two
apparently seperate trigger mechanisms of the same process in the same study.
I wonder how this will hold up in further studies as this seems kinda lucky.

~~~
PierredeFermat
Was chatting about this with someone on Health News. I doubt it's lucky - the
two compounds have been examined together in several previous studies;
[https://www.nature.com/articles/hr2005119](https://www.nature.com/articles/hr2005119)

Are you a biologist by the way?

~~~
inflatableDodo
Nahh, just have full spectrum curiosity. I mess around with pixels and robots
mostly.

edit - and I have just gone down a rabbithole while I should be wiring LEDs.
Am gonna stop now and go back later to find out what all the words mean.

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balkanbruv
More synthetic please

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xx4xx4
title?

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Udik
Yay! :)

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SpaceInvader
Sounds like an multi billion dollar business. That will increase the gap
between wealthy and poor even more. But well, that's the world we live in.

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drcross
I always hear this comment and yet no one can provide one example where a
technology or innovation was similar in the past. From air travel, electric
cars and medicine, the rich get it first before prices drop for mass
marketability.

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jhayward
It is fairly easy, as a thought experiment, to project such a trend of
accelerating accrual of benefits of technology to the plutocracy to a future
point where your statement is no longer true.

