Upregulation of Extracellular Matrix Genes Corroborates Clinical Efficacy of Human Fibroblast-Derived Growth Factors in Skin Rejuvenation

Skin care products may use various active ingredients to support skin rejuvenation including growth factors and other molecules that help to regenerate extracellular matrix (ECM) and promote skin repair. The biological effect of skin care products with a strong anti aging claim was assessed in gene expression analyses using an in vitro human skin model. Application of products containing human fibroblast-derived growth factors resulted in significant upregulation of genes encoding ECM components including collagens and elastin. Human fibroblasts cultured under hypoxic conditions show increased gene expression of stem cell markers, and their conditioned media could possibly further support skin rejuvenation. Furthermore, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in subjects with moderate to severe facial photodamage to assess the cosmetic clinical efficacy of a product containing human fibroblast-derived growth factors. The test product group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in the appearance of fine lines/wrinkles, coarse line/wrinkles, and overall photodamage, compared to the placebo group. Altogether, the results suggest that human fibroblast-derived growth factors support skin rejuvenation by stimulating dermal fibroblasts to generate ECM.