Attempting a 'Secretome' Skincare Serum from harvested Stem Cells of Your Own
In the ever-evolving world of beauty and aesthetics, a new trend is emerging - secretome serums. These innovative skincare products are making waves in professional, medical aesthetic settings, offering a personalized, regenerative skincare solution.
Companies like Acorn Biolabs are leading the charge, developing personalized secretome serums from a person's own hair follicle stem cells. These serums are then used immediately after professional procedures such as microneedling or laser treatments.
The process begins with the harvesting of the hair follicles. At Dripology in Santa Monica, the follicle is trimmed off each strand of hair and stored in a vial, before being placed on ice and couriered to the lab. The stem cells are extracted and cryogenically preserved for banking and culturing. The media used to grow the stem cells at Acorn contains a proprietary balance of sugars, salts, antioxidants, and simple proteins.
After six to eight weeks, sufficient secretions are collected to create the personalized secretome serum. This serum is a complex mixture of growth factors, cytokines, extracellular vesicles, and other bioactive molecules, without containing live cells themselves. The secretome is lyophilized, or freeze-dried, to be reconstituted at the medical provider's office.
Preliminary clinical data shows a batch of the secretome's regenerative concentrations to be several folds higher than in the same patient's sample of PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma). Initial data showed significantly greater concentrations of growth factors in the secretome versus PRP, with VEGF found at a 20x higher concentration, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) at 10x the concentration, and FGF and IGF at 15x and 8x higher concentrations respectively.
The naturally-released exosomes found in the secretome remain stable and bioavailable for up to one month when refrigerated. The personalized secretome serum is applied during microneedling or laser treatments, enhancing and accelerating healing and rejuvenation processes, leading to improved clinical outcomes.
Other biotech firms, such as BioRestorative Therapies, are also venturing into the realm of secretome serums, manufacturing cell-based secretome serums containing exosomes and growth factors under cGMP conditions, targeting anti-aging applications such as reducing wrinkles. They are advancing toward regulatory approval and wider therapeutic use in the emerging bio-cosmeceuticals field.
New products like LevEllis’s PROVOQUE serum feature secretome technology from human skin progenitor cells, delivering a full complement of growth factors, peptides, cytokines, and exosomes. These products highlight the trend toward physician-dispensed, medical-grade regenerative skincare formulated to restore and renew skin without inflammatory components.
The potential advantages of secretome serums over other regenerative treatments are numerous. The a-cellular nature of secretome serums may reduce regulatory hurdles, the risk of immune reactions, and complexities related to cell viability and delivery. The targeted bioactive mixture of the secretome directly modulates skin repair, regeneration, and inflammation, potentially offering more efficient tissue remodeling than isolated growth factors or cell therapies alone.
When derived from autologous stem cells, these treatments are tailored to the individual's biology, potentially improving safety and efficacy by avoiding immune rejection and ensuring compatibility. The synergy between secretome serums and professional procedures like microneedling or laser treatments can enhance and accelerate healing and rejuvenation processes, leading to improved clinical outcomes.
As the beauty industry continues to evolve, it's important to scrutinize new products and treatments. However, the hype surrounding regenerative aesthetics can sometimes drown out important questions. With secretome serums, the promise of personalized, biologically potent, and safe regenerative options that may surpass traditional regenerative treatments in precision and integration with in-office procedures is becoming increasingly apparent.
[1] Acorn Biolabs. (2021). Personalized Secretome Treatment. Retrieved from https://acornbiolabs.com/personalized-secretome-treatment/
[2] BioRestorative Therapies. (2021). Cell-Based Secretome Serum. Retrieved from https://www.biorestorative.com/cell-based-secretome-serum/
[3] LevEllis. (2021). PROVOQUE Serum. Retrieved from https://levellis.com/products/provogue-serum
- Science in the realm of dermatology and aesthetics is witnessing a shift with the emergence of secretome serums, a type of skincare product using personalized secretions from a person's own stem cells.
- In the health-and-wellness sector, companies like Acorn Biolabs are creating personalized secretome serums from hair follicle stem cells, which are used post-procedure in conjunction with treatments like microneedling and laser treatments.
- As more biotech firms such as BioRestorative Therapies join the fray, there's a growing focus on cell-based secretome serums containing exosomes and growth factors, targeting anti-aging skincare applications like wrinkle reduction.
- Secretome serums, like LevEllis's PROVOQUE serum, offer regenerative skincare options formulated without inflammatory components and showcasing the potential to surpass traditional regenerative treatments in precision and integration with in-office procedures.
