There psoriasis can benefit from using the glycerine: he declared it in one of his research is Dr. Wendy Bollag, cell physiologist and dermatologist at the Medical College of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, along with her study team.
His patients diagnosed with psoriasis have indeed reported that glycerin, an inexpensive, harmless, and slightly sweet liquid that tops the ingredient list in many skin lotions, is effective in fighting their psoriasis. Thanks to this information, the scientist and her research team have objective evidence to support their insights into the subject.
The study was published in the scientific journal International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Using glycerin in psoriasis treatment: this is what the new research says
Studies have revealed Several evidences of the ways in which glycerin enables healthy skin cell maturation through four stages that result in a smooth and protective skin layer. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated problem that typically occurs in both young people and adults where skin cells multiply rapidly, accumulating in inflamed patches.
“We now have experimental data to show what these psoriasis patients are reportingi, ”Bollag said, that nearly 20 years ago it first reported on The Journal of Investigative Dermatology that glycerin, a natural alcohol and water attractor known to help skin look better, has also safely helped it function better by helping skin cells mature properly.
Topically, glycerin is known to have a soothing and emollient effect. But another key part of its effectiveness, which Dr. Bollag helped outline, is his conversion into the lipid, or fat, phosphatidylglycerol, which ultimately regulates the function of keratinocytes, our main type of skin cell, and suppresses inflammation in the skin itself.
Glycerin enters the skin via routes such as aquaporin-3, a channel expressed in skin cells, and scientists have shown that once inside, aquaporin 3 channels glycerin into phospholipase-D-2, an enzyme that converts fats in the outer cell membrane into cell signals, eventually converting glycerin to phosphatidylglycerol.
In 2018, Bollag along with his research team revealed that topical application of phosphatidylglycerol reduced inflammation and characteristic raised skin spots in a mouse model of psoriasthe. This time they decided to look into the impact of its widely available precursor in glycerin.
For new studies, they used imiquimod, which is known to produce psoriasis-like plaques on humans who use it for problems such as genital warts and some skin cancers, to reproduce the pathology in an animal model.
The mice drank the natural glycerin or the scientists applied it topically. In both cases, glycerin helped reduce the development of characteristic skin lesions, the scientists report, a finding that helps point out that glycerin works in more ways than one to improve skin condition.
Topically, glycerin has shown its action as an emollient: in fact, even in mice lacking in phospholipase-D-2, it was beneficial. Furthermore, again on a topical level, it seems to compete with hydrogen peroxide for the space inside the aquaporin channel 3.
Hydrogen peroxide is commonly known as a mild antiseptic, but we also make it and at low levels it is a cell signaling molecule. But at high levels, hydrogen peroxide produces destructive oxidative stress, which can actually cause psoriasis.
Scientists have found that topical glycerin reduced the levels of hydrogen peroxide entering the skin cells. When they added glycerin and hydrogen peroxide at the same time directly to the skin cells, they found that glycerin protected against the oxidative stress of hydrogen peroxide.
“The glycerol is basically overtaking the hydrogen peroxide in entering and preventing it from entering and increasing the oxidative stress“, Explained Bollag:” Oil and water don’t mix, so another way glycerin can be useful is to support the skin’s primary role as a water permeability barrier. “
“On the other hand, when glycerin was ingested by mice lacking the phospholipase-D-2, which converts fats or lipids in the cell membrane into signals, simply didn’t work“Explained Bollag, who confirmed in his research how glycerin pairs with the enzyme to produce the essential signal for skin cell maturation.
Bollag would like the next steps in the research to also include clinical trials with dermatologists and patients, and is working to involve a scientist who can create what he thinks will be the optimal combination: glycerin and phosphatidylglycerol in the same topical cream.
The addition of phosphatidylglycerol itself, rather than just the glycerin that produces it, is essentially a backup as there is some evidence that in psoriasis the essential conversion of glycerin to phosphatidylglycerol is not optimal. THEBollag and colleagues’ lab found reduced levels of aquaporin 3 in psoriasis, which likely means less phosphatidylglycerol, so making more glycerin available can help, albeit not as efficiently, increase the availability of this essential lipid for normal. proliferation of skin cells.
Moving quickly to clinical trials should be relatively easy as, like glycerin, there is already experience with the use of phosphatidylglycerol in humans. For example, it is a component of some high-end cosmetics.
Bubble suspects this type of combination could help keep early signs of psoriasis at bay and, with the disease at a more advanced stage, use existing psoriasis treatments to control the condition of the skin, then start applying glycerin to keep it stable.
Although its exact cause is unclear, psoriasis is an immune-mediated condition and patients have higher levels of inflammation, which results in an excess production of skin cells that are produced and mature abnormally. Chronic inflammation also puts them at greater risk for problems such as heart disease.
Biological drugs used to treat psoriasis work in different ways to stem this overactive immune response, but in addition to their high cost, they can put the patient at risk for problems such as severe infections And cancer. The only side effect he has seen in about 20 years of working with glycerin and the clinical and cosmetic use already available, is that it can leave the skin slightly sticky.