Minireview: Peptide analogs and short sequence oligopeptides as modulators of skin pigmentation.

Short sequence amino acids or oligopeptides have recently garnered attention for use as treatments for a myriad of dermatologic disorders due to their ability to effect and modulate various biological processes in the epidermis and dermis, rendering them promising candidates as medical and cosmeceutical therapeutics. Major advantages include their relative ease of synthesis and multitude of modifications that can be applied to enhance potency, affinity, specificity, hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity and cytotoxicity. Given the photoprotective effects of eumelanin on skin, there has been substantial interest in developing agents, particularly α-MSH analogs, that can induce 'sunless tanning' helping reduce risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Novel pentapeptide activators of mammalian and mushroom tyrosinase.

Melanoma incidence continues to rise due to intentional exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sunlight and indoor tanning beds. Eumelanin exhibits photoprotective effects; thus, agents that induce its synthesis offer a means for sunless tanning without UVR damage. Herein, we report the development of two pentapeptides, P9 and P10, capable of enhancing melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells by activating mushroom and mouse tyrosinases without any effect on cell viability or proliferation.

Minimally invasive bipolar fractional radiofrequency treatment upregulates anti-senescence pathways.

Background: The sirtuin gene family has been implicated in various anti-senescence pathways. Its connection, if any, with the skin wound healing response has yet to be elucidated.

Objective: The goal of our study was to better understand the effects of FRF treatment on the sirtuin anti-senescence pathway in skin.

Potent low toxicity inhibition of human melanogenesis by novel indole-containing octapeptides.

Background: Abnormal production and accumulation of melanin are characteristics of a number of skin disorders, including postinflammatory hyperpigmentation and melasma. Our objective was to develop and validate novel oligopeptides with potent inhibitory activity against mushroom and human tyrosinase with minimal toxicity toward melanocytes, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts.

Methods: A library of short sequence oligopeptides was docked against the crystal structure of mushroom tyrosinase to screen for favorable binding free energies and direct interaction with the catalytic pocket.

Short-sequence oligopeptides with inhibitory activity against mushroom and human tyrosinase.

Cutaneous hyperpigmentation is a common disorder due to excess melanin production by the enzyme tyrosinase. The gold standard for treatment is hydroquinone (HQ), which reduces pigmentation through its toxicity to melanocytes rather than via tyrosinase inhibition. We screened an internal library for oligopeptides that inhibited both mushroom and human tyrosinase but showed no cytotoxicity to human melanocytes.

Bipolar fractional radiofrequency treatment induces neoelastogenesis and neocollagenesis.

Background: We recently introduced Renesis, a novel minimally invasive radiofrequency (RF) device, for the treatment of human skin. The wound healing response post-fractional RF (FRF) treatment was examined in human subjects.

Study Design: The FRF system delivered RF energy directly within the dermis via 5 micro-needle electrode pairs.