Kao Corporation

Akira Hachiya

Tsutomu Fujimura

Daiki Murase

Penkanok Sriwiriyanont

Atsushi Ohuchi

Akemi Kobayashi

Kei Takano

Takuji Kume

Akiko Kawasaki

Shinya Kasamatsu

Naoki Oya

Urara Yokose

Eiko Kaiho

Keigo Kawabata

To provide an inhibitor of melanin decomposition, which inhibits decomposition of melanin in keratinocytes to accelerate accumulation of melanin in skin and hair. An inhibitor of melanin decomposition in keratinocytes, comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a plant extract containing berberine or a salt thereof, berberine or a salt thereof, proguanil or a salt thereof and phenformin or a salt thereof, as an active ingredient.

Melanin decomposition inhibitor

Provided are a gene involved in the regulation of the amount of melanin in keratinocytes, and the control of the color of skin or hair, the gene being selected from the group consisting of ATG7 gene, RAB11A gene, CLIP-170 gene, Rubicon gene and RAB7B gene, and a molecule encoded by the gene.

Skin and hair color-controlling factor

Use of autophagic activity in regulation of the amount of melanin in a keratinocyte, the control of skin or hair color, or selection of an agent for regulating the amount of melanin in a keratinocyte or an agent for controlling skin or hair color.

Factors controlling skin and hair color

To provide a transformed hair follicle and a method for transferring a gene to a mammal by means of the transformed hair follicle. The invention provides a method for producing a transformed hair follicle including transferring a gene into a hair follicle by use of a virus vector, characterized by including providing a lentivirus pseudo-typed with VSV-G as a virus vector and transfecting a hair follicle with the lentivirus ex vivo.

Method for transforming a hair follicle

The present invention provides a human photoaged skin model and an animal model, and a method of making the same, for evaluating cosmetics and similar products in terms of their anti-aging or rejuvenating effect.

Human photoaged skin model

A method for evaluating or selecting a substance capable of preventing or curing photodamage of skin is provided. Provided is a method for evaluating or selecting an agent for preventing or curing photodamage of skin, the method including: (A) contacting cells that are capable of expressing TIMP-1 gene or TIMP-1 protein, with a test substance; (B) measuring the expression level of the TIMP-1 gene or the TIMP-1 protein in the cells; (C) comparing the expression level obtained in (B), with the expression level of TIMP-1 gene or TIMP-1 protein in a control group in which the cells capable of expressing TIMP-1 gene or TIMP-1 protein have not been contacted with the test substance; and (D) evaluating or selecting the test substance which increases the expression level of TIMP-1 gene or TIMP-1 protein, as an agent for preventing or curing photodamage of skin, based on the results of (C).

Method for evaluating or selecting agent for preventing or curing photodamage of skin

There is provided a screening method which can select a photoaging-preventing or improving agent or a wrinkle-preventing or improving agent with efficiency and reliability. The screening method for a photoaging- or wrinkle-preventing or improving agent selects, as a candidate, a substance inhibiting the expression of keratin 6 and/or keratin 16 genes or keratin 6 and/or keratin 16 proteins in a skin tissue or cell.

Method for screening an agent for preventing or ameliorating wrinkles

An animal model for hyperpigmentations in which the formation of hyperpigmentations in human skin is faithfully simulated is provided. An animal model for hyperpigmentations, wherein a black person's skin is grafted onto a non-human animal, is provided.

Animal model for hyperpigmentation

An animal model for pigment spots in which the formation of pigment spots in human skin is faithfully simulated is provided. An animal model for pigment spots, wherein a black person's skin is grafted onto a non-human animal, is provided.

Animal model for pigment spots

The present invention relates to a method for constructing human skin tissue, in which human skin tissue is reconstructed on a body surface of an immunodeficient non-human animal.

Method for constructing reconstructed skin

The invention provides a human photoaged skin model and an animal model which are useful for evaluating cosmetics and similar products in terms of their anti-aging or rejuvenating effect, as well as a method for producing such a skin model and such an animal model. The method of producing the human photoaged skin model is characterized in that a transplanted skin area of an immunodeficient non-human animal which has undergone transplantation of human skin is irradiated with UV-B light of 80-100 mJ/cmfor consecutive 4 to 8 weeks, and the irradiated area is left to take its own course for at least 3 weeks. A human photoaged skin model and an animal model produced through this method are also disclosed.

This invention relates to depilatories and external preparations, each of which contains endothelin or its agonist, and also to a depilating method characterized by administering endothelin or its agonist. As the depilatories and external preparations according to the present invention inhibit growth of hair in mammalian skin, their application to the human body as drugs or cosmetics permits safe and effective removal of hair from the body. These depilatories and external preparations are also usable as wool harvesting preparations.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Akira Hachiya