Secretome/Exosome Biology

As we age, our cells begin losing the ability to produce optimal amounts of collagen, elastin, growth factors, and other important components responsible for healing and rejuvenation. This natural slowdown is essentially aging, which can be seen in the form of wrinkles, hair loss, uneven and dull skin tone, and decreased skin elasticity.

Break-through laboratory research studies in stem cell research have shown that a novel cell type called mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) secretes a byproduct called the secretome, which contains  extracellular matrix molecules and exosomes. The extracellular matrix is composed mainly of collagen, hyaluronic acid, elastin, and other healing proteins. Exosomes, on the other hand, are responsible for communication between cells, including carrying bioactive molecules, such as growth factors, from one cell to another. In laboratory research  studies, this synergistic biology has been shown to enable these secretome-derived molecules to penetrate the skin barrier and deliver these rejuvenating proteins and bioactive molecules to aging and damaged cells.