Melanin

Zebrafish share skin-deep similarities with people, making them helpful models to study skin conditions like vitiligo and melanoma

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 10, 2023

They do this by synthesizing melanins, which are pigments sent to other skin cells to shield them from harmful ultraviolet light.

Key Points: 
  • They do this by synthesizing melanins, which are pigments sent to other skin cells to shield them from harmful ultraviolet light.
  • A lack of functioning melanocytes causes a wide range of skin conditions, including skin cancer and vitiligo, an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks melanocytes and causes patches of depigmented skin.
  • Difficulties growing human melanocytes in cell cultures have led researchers like me to use alternative models to study them.

What zebrafish and people have in common

    • Melanocytes in zebrafish are similar in many ways to those in people.
    • Unlike melanocytes in mouse or human skin, zebrafish melanocytes are externally visible in their dark stripes and spotted scales.
    • Importantly, researchers can manipulate and perform experiments on zebrafish melanocytes in ways that are unethical or not feasible to do with people.

Diversity of melanocyte stem cells

    • It’s also relevant to age-related conditions like hair graying, in which melanocyte stem cells either die or become dormant and no longer produce the mature melanocytes that give hair its color.
    • Since melanocyte stem cells in zebrafish are externally visible, we tracked these cells in real time to see how they divided and matured.
    • Additionally, we measured which genes were expressed in individual melanocyte stem cells and their descendants during regeneration.
    • We found that dying melanocytes trigger this regenerative process by sending the signal for melanocyte stem cells – cells that can give rise to new melanocytes – to activate.

From fish to people

    • When we examined cells taken from the fluid within a blister in human skin, we found cells that look remarkably similar to zebrafish melanocyte stem cells.
    • We are planning to see whether these human cells are activated in skin regeneration to make new melanocytes, which would confirm their identity as melanocyte stem cells.

DermBiont Announces Positive Data from a Phase 2 Trial Treating Solar Lentigos and Normalizing Pigmentation of the Skin with 0.8% SM-030 Topical Gel

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

There is no existing product that effectively and safely specifically inhibits the production of excess epidermal melanin.

Key Points: 
  • There is no existing product that effectively and safely specifically inhibits the production of excess epidermal melanin.
  • Tyrosinase, the key enzyme in the melanin synthetic pathway, requires phosphorylation by PKCβ for activity.
  • SM-030 is a first-in-class selective and potent topical PKCβ inhibitor designed to inhibit PKCβ to reduce the production of excess epidermal melanin.
  • DermBiont’s Phase 2 trial with SM-030 was conducted with two different groups of subjects.

Researchers prepare to send fungi for a ride around the moon

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 28, 2021

Naval Research Laboratory are preparing experimental samples of fungi to send for a ride around the moon tentatively scheduled for later in 2021 or early 2022.

Key Points: 
  • Naval Research Laboratory are preparing experimental samples of fungi to send for a ride around the moon tentatively scheduled for later in 2021 or early 2022.
  • Fungi have natural mechanisms to protect from and repair DNA damage caused by radiation.
  • Those mechanisms enable the fungi to withstand several hundred times more radiation than humans.
  • This experiment will study the melanin in fungi (which may assist in protecting them from damage), as well as DNA repair pathways (which repair damage once it occurs).

Materials coloured like a peacock

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 25, 2021

Chemist Michinari Kohri of Chiba University in Japan reviewed the latest research on these 'melanin-mimetic materials' and their potential applications for the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

Key Points: 
  • Chemist Michinari Kohri of Chiba University in Japan reviewed the latest research on these 'melanin-mimetic materials' and their potential applications for the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
  • Scientists are developing materials inspired by the structural colours in a peacock's feathers.
  • (Credit: Takashi Tsujino)
    Melanin and melanin-like compounds absorb some of the light that is scattered from the microstructures within materials.
  • Scientists are looking for ways to mimic these so-called 'structural colour' changes of living organisms in synthetic materials.

Melanin Seeker Unveils Educational Flash Cards With Global Black Facts

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 14, 2020

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Melanin Seeker, the one-stop source for children, teenagers and adults to educate themselves on all things Black, has unveiled educational flash cards as a supplemental tool to their daily social media and website "Black Facts" questions.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Melanin Seeker, the one-stop source for children, teenagers and adults to educate themselves on all things Black, has unveiled educational flash cards as a supplemental tool to their daily social media and website "Black Facts" questions.
  • The flash cards are aimed at providing knowledge about the global presence and contributions of Black people throughout history.
  • Melanin Seeker is a comprehensive online environment that promotes competitiveness in learning and interesting information about the African Diaspora.
  • Each set of Melanin Seeker flash cards are comprised of 30 cards.

Croma-Pharma GmbH Expands its Portfolio Introducing elure™

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 28, 2019

LEOBENDORF, Austria, Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Croma is always committed to deepening its product portfolio to support customers in their daily work.

Key Points: 
  • LEOBENDORF, Austria, Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Croma is always committed to deepening its product portfolio to support customers in their daily work.
  • elure advanced skin brightening solution is a clinically demonstrated cosmetic line with a powerful, active formula that creates an effective solution to gently yet quickly diminish the appearance of dark spots and improve skin tone.
  • Without the use of any exfoliating or other aggressing agents, elure can be used throughout the year, suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive.
  • With elure, they invented a unique skin brightening solution that directly and selectively breaks down melanin, the cause of skin pigmentation.

PPT Uses Melanin as a Paradigm for Developing Blue Light Filtration in Multiple Industries

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Melanin, the body's own sunscreen, does filter more strongly the higher energy visible wavelengths.

Key Points: 
  • Melanin, the body's own sunscreen, does filter more strongly the higher energy visible wavelengths.
  • Throughout the 1990's, PPT developed ground-breaking patents and technologies for incorporating organic melanin into the optical plastics used in today's sunglass lenses.
  • PPT has multiple patents and technologies inspired by melanin's light filtration properties.
  • PPT has also developed thin films with melanin to filter the blue light emitted from electronic devices.

PPT Receives Patent for Award-Winning Skin Care Product with Melanin

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 21, 2019

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Photoprotective Technologies (PPT) has just received US patent 10/357,124 for its HEV Melanin used in skin care products.

Key Points: 
  • SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Photoprotective Technologies (PPT) has just received US patent 10/357,124 for its HEV Melanin used in skin care products.
  • The award-winning product addresses the growing need to protect the skin from blue light as well as UV.
  • It's widely known that people with more melanin have less wrinkles and less damage to their skin.
  • PPT has modified its melanin to take this idea a step further by formulating a melanin that filters even more of the blue light and transmits still more of the red light.

AVYA Skincare Takes Inclusivity To New Heights With Travel Set

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 9, 2019

The new AVYA Travel Set goes beyond product innovation to meet the needs of today's melanin-minded consumer.

Key Points: 
  • The new AVYA Travel Set goes beyond product innovation to meet the needs of today's melanin-minded consumer.
  • Infused with turmeric, neem, and peony, the AVYA Travel Set helps optimize the melanin pathway on-the-go.
  • "The AVYA Travel Set was created to make traveling feel elevated without compromising the efficacy of skincare for women allover the world.
  • The AVYA Travel Set is sure to resonate with today's global woman and aims to empower the multicultural consumer no matter where the journey takes her next.

Global Hair Removal Devices Markets, 2018-2025 - Key Players are Cynosure, Solta Medical, Lumenis, Alma Lasers, Syneron Medical, Venus Concept Canada, and Cutera - ResearchAndMarkets.com

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 29, 2019

Most hair removal devices can be used at home, which, in turn, is also contributing to the high demand for personal noninvasive grooming techniques.

Key Points: 
  • Most hair removal devices can be used at home, which, in turn, is also contributing to the high demand for personal noninvasive grooming techniques.
  • New laser devices emit longer wavelengths of light, enabling them to focus only on the melanin present in hair follicles.
  • These factors are expected to drive growth of the hair removal devices market over the years to come.
  • Some of the key market players include Cynosure Inc.; Solta Medical, Inc.; Lumenis; Alma Lasers; Syneron Medical Ltd.; Venus Concept Canada Corp.; and Cutera.