DNA Repair - Do We Need It?
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free skin care · Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:42 pm

Bethany posted the post below on the Cellese review thread. I thought the topic was worthy of its own thread.

And Keliu posted this link to an article on DNA repair. http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/767038/dna_repair_at_forefront_of_antiaging_revolution/

It says that

“We need a radically new approach to protecting against premature aging,” states Dr. McDaniel. “The best protection should include an effective SPF, a potent antioxidant with high EPF (environmental protection factor) and, for those with strong sun exposure, the new DNA repair enzymes (ultrasomes and photosomes).”

It says the "new DNA repair enzymes." This article was written in 2006. Is this technology so old that it is no longer relevant? Has it been replaced by newer technologies like stem cells?

Also I think everyone who reads this forum knows that our skin needs more than SPF, antioxidants and DNA repair enzymes.

Do we need these DNA repair enzymes or are they nothing more than a moisturizer that plumps up skin and fills in lines thereby making skin LOOK younger but not doing anything to remodel the skin at the cellular level?

DrJ wrote:

bethany wrote:

DragoN or Dr. J - can either if you please share how AnteAGE is similar/different/better than Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair?

That was going to be the next product that I added to my regimen, but I am open to possibly changing that.

Thanks!

Hi bethany, that is a question with a short answer and a very long answer. I'll do the short version -- maybe we need a different thread to discuss the long. And I'll bet DragoN knows more about this than I do.

The actives in EL's ANR are all about DNA repair enzymes, and chemicals involved in synchronization of what are known as "clock genes".

The superstar active in AnteAGE is a collection of chemicals called cytokines whose pattern is specifically tuned to deal with skin rejuvenation. There are multiple mechanisms involved. It is not limited to a single construct like "DNA repair". DNA repair only does one thing - tries to rescue cells that have potential to mutate or die due to DNA damage.

DNA repair applied to skin is in in its infancy. The approaches used by EL (they bought a company with patents in the field) have merit in terms of the laboratory science -- i.e. being able to demonstrate in vitro that DNA repairs take place when you induce damage. There was even a clinical study where subjects had to drink H202 to get DNA damage so they could se eif the repair enzymes worked (the IRB must have been asleep, eh DragoN?). But there are problems (with lots of detail). Like the fact that these repairs take place intracellularly, in the cell nucleus no less, and it is notoriously hard to get enzymes through the skin, into cells, and to the nucleus. I have yet to see a stud that shows you can apply 8-oxoguanine DNA glucosylase, to skin and have it appear in the nucleus of cells.

Then there is the whole debate about whether trying to repair damaged DNA is a sound anti-aging strategy. This gets very complicated. Basically your body has a panoply of mechanisms in place to sort through damaged cells and kill off the ones it deems useless or dangerous (e.g. could lead to cancer). DNA repair sounds like a good way to prevent cancer, right? But it is not 100%. Sometimes you only halfway repair the DNA. A cell that otherwise would have been tagged for destruction (apoptosis) is now preserved. A potential cancer in the making? There is this delicate balance between age extension on the one hand, and cancer surveillance on the other.

And what about cell turnover. Skin rejuvenation means getting rid of old tired cells & matrix, and replacing it with fresh. Its what e.g. VitA does well. So, is trying to save old cells (given a DNA tune up) a good idea. It's like patching an old tire. It may keep running, but it could cause problems later.

Then there is this whole clock gene thing where they are actually doing what I think is a no-no ... fooling mother nature by inducing enzyme system only active during the day AT NIGHT. I don't care that they are "repair" oriented genes. There is a reason they are turned off at night. I don't know exactly what it is, but I trust the wisdom of nature.
They callit synchronization, I call it doing a double shift at a factory designed for day work only.

Having pointed out the mechanistic differences, I would also look to the claims. I( believe there are 4 or 5 for EL product, AnteAGE can claim 12. Ten if you are a purist.

Now, this is all theory. If you liked EL in the past, then you will probably like it now (its got a very nice texture - we could also talk about their approach to emulsions.

This answer is already too long. We need a new thread. How about DNA repair actives: the good, bad, and the ugly? And maybe another on clock genes. We can call it "Can your skin tell time? " Or maybe "How to make your skin cells work the night shift by unwinding their clocks".

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