Meadowfoam derived sunscreen compounds that reduce UVB-induced DNA damage
Background Chronic skin exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) leads to accumulated DNA damage resulting in skin aging and the possibility of cancer. To prevent this, sunscreens are formulated with additives that reflect or absorb UV wavelengths that are incident on the skin (i.e., UVA and UVB). While commercially available sunscreen formulations effectively prevent the deleterious effects of UVR, there have been some recent concerns related to safety and environmental toxicity for marine organisms. New sunscreen compounds derived from plants provide a vast reservoir of novel compounds that could avoid these side effects.
Technology Description This licensing opportunity relates to a novel compound derived from meadowfoam that reduces the ultraviolet radiation damage that leads to skin aging and cancer. The meadowfoam derived sunscreen compound was shown to reduce UVB-induced DNA damage in human primary keratinocytes. The inventors of the compound envision its use in a sunscreen formulation. The inventors arrived at meadowfoam-derived compound as part of an effort to overcome cytotoxicity challenges with natural meadowfoam compounds. The inventors show that lipid conjugation reduces a photoprotective natural product's cytotoxicity while retaining its UVB absorptive capability. Future work may further refine the chemical structure to enhance its UVB absorbency. Furthermore, the compound could be tested in a skin-like environment, such as reconstructed skin, and in different formulations, such as a solid lipid nanoparticle.
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Status Patent pending (U.S. provisional patent application