Archive for May 2026
May 20th, 2026 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Nature took its time, like some millions of years, and ended up with a complicated and beautiful system that works well to make proteins. When it doesn’t work well, the consequences can be devastating, such as when DNA that encodes an important protein mutates due to bad luck or environmental factors. How does the system work? It’s complicated Figure: the amino acids used in proteins. Illustration by Dr. Carlos María Figueroa. Figure. Protein synthesis, or gene expression, is a two-stage process. In the first (transcription) a mRNA molecule is produced that echoes the DNA sequence of the gene being expressed. In the second stage, translation, a chain…
May 14th, 2026 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
PDGF (Platelet-derived Growth Factor) INCI Name sh-Polypeptide-59 What to expect: Anti-aging, wrinkle improvement, wound healing What are platelets? Platelets are small cell fragments produced in the bone marrow, and they are the blood’s primary coagulation mechanism. You may be familiar with the story of the hemophilia of Prince Alexei of Russia and Rasputin. The effect of platelets on coagulation is mediated by the clotting factors present in their granules Figure. Diagram of the structure of a platelet showing the granules. By Dr Graham Beards – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21906052 You may be less familiar with the growth factors present in platelets, which mediate the healing effects of platelet-enriched plasma (a.k.a. platelet concentrate) used…
May 12th, 2026 by Dr. Hannah Sivak
Rejuvenating growth factor a.k.a. TGF-β1 (Transforming Growth Factor beta 1), GDF-11 INCI Name sh-Polypeptide-22, skin protectant Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF-11) is a protein that regulates stem cell function, promoting cellular repair in the epidermis and dermis, as well as in other organs. GDF-11 induces collagen I, collagen III, and elastin production in skin fibroblasts and appears to reduce skin inflammation. It’s a very promising growth factor, and one that we, at Skin Active Proteins, will soon be able to offer to the skin care industry. GDF-11 was identified during the investigation of how blood donated by a young mouse could help rejuvenate the function of the older mouse.…