2012
April
Shiseido Develops New Anti-Aging Skincare Technology that Enhances Skin’s
Self-Restoring Capabilities using Dermal Stem Cells
Using the results of research on dermal stem cells*1, which facilitate the skin’s self-restoring process, Shiseido has
successfully developed new anti-aging skincare technology. This technology prevents and improves sagging and deep
wrinkles, and counteracts age-related decline in skin’s elasticity and resilience caused by the progressive aging of the
dermis. To achieve this effect, skin’s regenerative and repair capabilities must be enhanced. While skin’s fibroblasts
produce the components of the dermis, it is the dermal stem cells that increase dermal regenerative and repair
capabilities. Shiseido’s research shows that stem cells hold the key to skin’s self-restoring abilities. (Figures 1, 2)
Here are Four Findings from Shiseido’s Dermal Stem Cell research:
(1) Dermal stem cells, which differentiate, can only exist stably in areas around blood vessels (Figure 3)
(2) A platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB*2) is required in order to enable dermal stem cells to exist stably
around blood vessels. (Figure 4)
(3) Dermal stem cells and PDGF-BB decrease with age. (Figure 5)
(4) Inositol*3 increases the generation of PDGF-BB. (Figure 6)
These findings will be applied in the development of new anti-aging skincare products (in Japan and overseas)
formulated to enhance the skin’s self-restoring process—strengthening regenerative and repair capabilities induced
by dermal stem cells—while preventing and improving sagging, loss of elasticity and deep wrinkles.
Additionally, a portion of these research results will be presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the Society for
Investigative Dermatology, which will convene from May 9 to 12 in the United States. The Society for Investigative
Dermatology is one of the world’s leading research societies related to dermatology.
*1 Dermal stem cells are mesenchymal stem cells existing in the dermis that differentiate into fibroblasts. Since mesenchymal stem cells
are initially differentiated from bone marrow and are capable of producing various tissues, they are drawing attention in regenerative
medicine and are the closest to reaching the clinical application stage.
*2 PDGF-BB is a growth factor derived from blood platelets. Growth factor is the collective term for in vivo substances that promote the
growth or differentiation of cells.
*3 Inositol is a type of vitamin B that is largely contained in items such as plant seeds and grain crops. It is known to play a major role in
the metabolism of fats and cholesterol.
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The Current State of Stem Cell Research
Stem cells are capable of producing various other types of cells. Stem cells work to maintain a body’s health, or to
heal scarring through their differentiation ability. In recent years, research on regenerative medicine to repair organs
and tissues damaged by disease or trauma has been actively pursued in the medical field.
Although the application of stem cell research and knowledge has also been promoted in the cosmetics field,
these efforts are mostly limited to the development of artificial stem cells from plant cells, and the process of
combining them, which can be done relatively simply. While research on skin stem cells is also being done, it is
related to epidermal stem cells (which only generate keratinocytes found on the surface of the skin) or it is focused on
identifying the presence of dermal stem cells. Until Shiseido’s research, here had been no in-depth research on dermal
stem cells from the perspective of enhancing the skin’s self-restoring power by increasing the regenerative and repair
capabilities of the dermis.
This research, begun in 2004, will lead to new solutions for anti-aging skin care.
New Anti-Aging Skincare Technology Enhances Skin’s Self-Restoring Capabilities
The skin concerns that arise for most women as they age are sagging, loss of elasticity and deep wrinkles caused by
changes in the skin’s configuration. These changes occur with the decline of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic
acid—the main structural components of skin’s elasticity and resilience. Consequently, in order to maintain youthful
skin with elasticity and resilience, skin’s capacity for self-restoring needs to increase, and that means the regenerative
and reparative capabilities of the dermis need to increase as well.
Based on the four new findings listed previously, and the discovery of Inositol as a new substance for promoting
the production of the growth factor PDGF-BB (which declines due to aging) Shiseido succeeded in creating new
anti-aging skincare technology that improves the skin’s self-restoring power by enhancing the regenerative and repair
capabilities of the dermis.
2
Dermal
stem cells
differentiation
differentiation
Epidermal
stem cells
production
Fibroblasts
Pericytes etc.
differentiation
Epidermal
cells
Collagen
Elastin
Hyaluronic acid
×
Figure 1: Difference in functions of dermal stem cells and epidermal stem cells (Tentative image)
In vitro culture of dermal stem cells
Fibroblastic cells
(type I collagen positive)
Dissociation
Culture
dermal stem cells
（Immunofluorescence image ）
Colony forming ability of
dermal stem cells
Figure 2: Differentiation of dermal stem cells into fibroblasts
Nucleus
Dermal
stem cells
Blood
vessels
Dermal
stem cells
Nucleus
Blood
vessels
Figure 3: Perivascular localization of dermal stem cells
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Blood
vessels
**
Colony forming ability of
derma stem cells
PDGF-BB
Nucleus
minus
plus
PDGF-BB
Number of dermal
stem cells
Figure 4: PFGF-BB, which enhances the function of dermal stem cells
20 30 40 50 60
70 80
90
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
age
age
Figure 5: Dermal stem cells and PFGF-BB that decline due to aging
• A type of Vitamin B that is largely
found in plant seeds and grains
• Naturally exists in the human body
and is important in metabolizing fat
and cholesterol.
minus
plus
Inositol
Figure 6: Inositol, which increases the production of PFGF-BB
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