"Miniplants" help to maintain the skin youth

Healthy skin with no powder and concealer

This is not a scientific fiction: it is possible to create "miniplants" in our own skin which can renew the aging skin, actually turning back the clock. Such a breathtaking picture is painted by Alla Zorina, the Candidate of Sciences in Medicine, a physician-researcher at the Human Stem Cell Institute. We met each other at the international conference where scientists and researchers from different countries share experience in the field of new developments using cell technologies. Alla Zorina, being a responsible researcher and a real woman, tried the innovative technology of skin rejuvenation on the self personally. I look closely at her face and neck: one can notice no powder and concealer at all but the skin is amazingly fresh and firm with no wrinkles (just a hint on them). Most women look this way when they are 25 – 27 years old. Alla is more than forty years old.

 This procedure is termed the SPRS therapy (abbreviation of "Service for Personal Regeneration of Skin"), the program for individual skin regeneration. InRussia, the SPRS therapy was officially approved for application three years ago whereas in theUSAthe similar technology is used for skin rejuvenation more than for 15 years. At the same time, Russian scientists are keeping track how efficient and safe was this procedure for patients after many years.

Fibroblasts are cells which produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid

Visually the procedure looks like this: a small piece of skin is taken behind patient's ear and used to obtain fibroblasts at the specialized laboratory. These cells produce collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid and other skin components responsible for skin firmness and elasticity (with age the amount of such cells becomes less and their productivity lower). Then, at the laboratory, the qualified specialists select the best fibroblasts producing large amounts of skin components and cultivate them to obtain the cell suspension to inject into patient's skin.

"Actually, fibroblasts serve as "miniplants" which autonomously produce all necessary skin components including new collagen, thus, triggering natural processes of skin renewal," — Alla Zorina explains. 

There is no risk of malignant tumor formation since injected fibroblasts are mature and determined cells which, as specialists assure, have no ability to transform.

How long the skin rejuvenation lasts?

Collagen produced by injected cells is completely decomposed for 30 years. Theoretically, the achieved rejuvenation effect could last for a very long time. But everything is not that simple! 

"Unfortunately, nobody can be "preserved" forever; — Alla Zorina says — most people live under bad environmental conditions, the skin is influenced by sun light, smoking, stresses, unhealthy food, etc., and the endocrine system is changed with age. That is why the effect of the SPRS therapy may be sufficient for 10 years but, on average, for 3 – 5 years. According to physicians' opinion, in general, there are no limitations on the number of the SPRS therapy courses. In addition, during the first course, a part of the obtained fibroblasts is cryoprotected so that they can be cultivated later and used for the following procedures despite of patient's age."

Do plastic surgeons lose all their patients?

"Being highly efficient, the SPRS therapy can not solve the problem of ptosis, i.e., drooping of facial soft tissues in old age, — Alla Zorina notices — only a surgeon can return back on place the drooping cheeks, the chin, and eyelids."

Lipofilling can remove wrinkles at once!

Lipofilling, the transfer of patient's adipose tissue from one body region to the other one, is used in esthetic medicine for a very long time. By using this procedure and having fat sucked from patient's thighs or from the other body regions, one can increase the volume of breasts or cheeks and can fill nasolabial folds and deep wrinkles. However, there is a serious problem: after a while, the lipograft (the transplanted fat) either will be resolved or (that is even worse) will be replaced by connective tissue with formation of dense tissue (fibrosis). In the latter case, one may need a surgery to remove the defect region.

However, for the last several years, Lipofilling had a real revolution which, as expected, can minimize a risk of complications. Scientists found out that fat tissue contains cells which are capable of transformation creating blood vessels. If to isolate such cells and to combine them with the lipograft, then real blood vessels will grow in the transplanted fat tissue and the blood circulation will be established! This means that the transplanted fat tissue will become an integral part of the body and the threat of tissue resolving or rejection will disappear.

Such a cell technology came to our country very recently, in 2012, and is used at the Human Stem Cell Institute, as we were told by its researchers. From the fat tissue obtained from a patient by liposuction procedure, the most valuable cells (the so-called stromal vascular cellular fraction, the "fresh cells") are isolated and used to enrich the fat transplant that is injected into certain body regions (breast, face, etc.). However, one should keep in mind that, for instance, by using this natural way, the breast can not be increased in volume by several sizes but maximally by one size. This will require 300 –400 gramsof fat which should be obtained from a patient by liposuction and a part of which should be processed into the lipograft and the other part should be used to obtain the "fresh cells."

How much does the procedure of skin rejuvenation cost?

At present, many patients come to us from the Russian top political circles, busyness, and artistic environment — specialists in the field of esthetic medicine say. An ordinary Russian citizen has to save money for a long time or take a credit from a bank to pay for innovative rejuvenating procedures. The prices are as follows:

- the SPRS therapy – from 290 thousand rubles (depending on the clinic level). The price includes one course of cell therapy, creation of the skin passport, and storage of cells in the Cryobank to have a possibility to repeat the procedure in the future.

- Lipofilling with the use of the stromal vascular cellular fraction – 150-200 thousand rubles or more depending on the region of correction.

Rejuvenating gene-therapeutical procedures

Let's add "useful" genes!

In the nearest 5 – 10 years, the rejuvenating gene-therapeutic procedures can be developed — Aleksei Moskalev, a gerontologist, the head of the Laboratory of Aging Genetics of the Moscow Physicotechnical Institute, believes. — Such procedures will include the application of "useful" genes which can help to aging cells to restore the normal level of collagen production as in youth. This will allow one not only to improve the skin appearance but also to increase the bone density, the vessel elasticity, etc., and thus to solve a whole complex of aging problems. The required genes can be introduced into the body also through the skin by injections or even as a cream.

What else can help us to postpone aging?

Melatonin, the sleep hormone

This hormone increases the body immunity, regulates work of the whole endocrine system including production of sex hormones, hormones of the thyroid gland and others; suppresses propagation of cancerous cells, and possesses strong antioxidant activity owing to which it protects the body from substances causing aging.

It is important: the maximal production of melatonin is from 12 p.m. to4 a.m. That is why one must spend this time in a bed so that to completely use all rejuvenating power of the hormone. It is also important to stay in full darkness otherwise the production of melatonin failures. Thus, it is better to close windows with dense curtains or to wear a mask for sleeping manufactured from natural materials.

Red vine 

Red vine contains a valuable substance, resveratrol, which, as the studies have shown, possesses antidiabetic properties, slows down the growth of cancerous cells, positively influences on the cardiovascular system, firms vessel walls, and thins the blood. Actually, red vine helps to fight age-related diseases shortening one's life by 15 – 20 years. 

It is important: one should drink the "elixir of youth" in reasonable quantities so that a harm caused by alcohol would not reduce to zero all useful effects of resveratrol. Women are allowed by physicians to drink no more than one glass of red vine per day whereas the maximal amount for men is two glasses.

Useful stresses 

It has been proved by experiments that short-term "shocking" influence on the human body makes it to mobilize, turn on "self-fixing" mechanisms, and be in tonus. Owing to this stress, the body can better resist the age-related changes, maintains good health for the longer time, and appears younger. 

It is important: Such useful stresses include acclimatization training (short-term temperature difference), baths (when there are no contraindications), and fasting days with a low-calorie diet.