STEM CELL TECHNOLOGY & THE SKIN
Stem cell technology and anti-aging skin care is a new phenomenon sweeping the cosmetics industry. In 2005, rumors began to surface about a stem cell based mystery skin cream that was not only the most controversial, but also the most sought after anti-aging cream in the world. Consumers were seeking Amatokin.
Amatokin is said to be the most profound skin care advancement in more than three decades. According to its manufacturer, Voss Laboratories, this emulsion is the first product to harness the regenerative potential of your own facial stem cells to renew the skin and make it look young again.
The marriage of stem cell technology and anti-aging skin care is highly controversial.
Some researchers believe that the use of stem cell technology for a topical, anti-aging cosmetic trivializes other, more important medical research in this field. Secondly, confusion exists over the type of stem cells being exploited in this particular cosmetic product.
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. When a stem cell divides, it can remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a skin cell. There are two types of stem cells, embryonic and adult.
Embryonic stem cells are exogenous in that they are harvested from outside sources, namely, fertilized human eggs. Once harvested, these stem cells are grown in cell cultures and manipulated to generate specific cell types so they can be used to treat injury or disease.
Unlike embryonic stem cells, adult or somatic stem cells are endogenous. They are present within our bodies and serve to maintain and repair the tissues in which they are found. Adult stem cells are found in many organs and tissues, including the skin. In fact, human skin is the largest repository of adult stem cells in the body. Skin stem cells reside in the basal layer of the epidermis where they remain dormant until they are activated by tissue injury or disease.
Amatokin is the first product of its kind and works by stimulating the adult stem cell reservoirs in our skin to help rejuvenate it. From the day we are born, our skin experiences the incremental and cumulative effects of intrinsic and extrinsic aging. When we are young, stem cell utilization for skin rejuvenation functions efficiently. As we age, it reduces significantly. Given the proper environment, these inherent stem cell reservoirs can be stimulated to renew the skin.
Amatokin is an anti-aging skin care product that addresses the expression of stem cell markers in the skin to reportedly reduce the appearance of serious wrinkles without injections or even a visit to the doctor’s office. Could it truly be a “miracle in a bottle”? As with any new and innovative technological advancement in anti-aging skin care, time will tell. I’m sure this is only one of many products to come that will combine stem cell technology and anti-aging skin care.
