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Beyond Kinerase - Pyratine Makes its Debut
by Dr. Hema Sundaram
Thursday, January 17, 2008
EXPERT Dr. Hema Sundaram
Cosmetic Dermatologist
Health Professional
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Back in the day when Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were husband and wife, they - and various other celebrities - swore by Kinerase cream to keep their skins dewy. I've recommended Kinerase to my patients for many years, and in magazine articles such as this one in Good Housekeeping[1]. Its active ingredient, Kinetin, is a cytokinin - a plant-derived growth factor that ties in well with my philosophy of holistic skin care. Studies have shown that Kinetin increases the lifespan of cultured skin cells and that it is an antioxidant capable of destroying free radicals - the harmful chemicals that are implicated in some cancers and thought to be the cause of premature aging.



How this test-tube research translates to real-life skin care remains a matter of debate. But now Pitt, Aniston, and anyone else who wants to get - and keep - that youthful glow, may want to take a look at Pyratine-6, a new skin rejuvenator that was just introduced last fall. It's a second generation cytokinin developed by Senetek, the same company that developed Kinetin. Like Kinetin, it's plant-derived, and it has some interesting science to back it up [2].



The results after 8 weeks of treatment with Pyratine-6 or with Kinetin were examined in separate studies conducted respectively at the University of California, Irvine and at a laboratory in Texas. It's important to note that these are independent studies of Pyratine-6 and Kinetin, each conducted at a single study center. A head-to-head study conducted at several study centers would provide a more direct and extensive comparison of the two cytokinins. Nonetheless, the data are thought-provoking.



There was 22% improvement in fine wrinkles with Pyratine-6, versus 2% improvement with Kinetin; an 86% improvement in skin roughness with Pyratine-6 versus 35% improvement with Kinetin; and an overall improvement in perceived aging of 24% with Pyratine-6 versus 3% with Kinetin. An additional 12 week study of Pyratine-6 also showed significant improvement in skin moisture content, reduction in skin redness and a 45% reduction in acne lesions.



Based on these results, a further study has been performed to evaluate the effectiveness of Pyratine-6 for acne and rosacea; the data from this study is pending. New Jersey-based Triax Pharmaceuticals, which already produces a couple of prescription acne therapy systems (Tretin-X and Minocin PAC), will be distributing Pyratine-6 to dermatologists' and cosmetic surgeons' offices under the aegis of its new Triax Aesthetics division.



I've been using Pyratine-6 myself now for a little over a month and I'm pleased with the results. My skin feels softer and smoother, several patients have commented on my lustrous skin, and I've had no skin irritation. Kinerase didn't irritate my skin either, and it used to be a mainstay of my own skin care regime because many other skin products do. However, Kinerase seemed to give me occasional acne breakouts and I had to give my skin a respite from it every month or so. For this reason, I'm especially intrigued by the reported anti-acne effects of Pyratine-6. I'm interested to see how Pyratine-6 performs with my patients, many of whom suffer from rosacea or adult acne and would appreciate a dual-purpose therapy that treats these conditions while it rejuvenates their skins. I'm also recommending Pyratine-6 to patients who have fractional laser resurfacing, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and other skin rejuvenation procedures in my office.

http://www.healthcentral.com/skin-care/c/75934/19299/makes-debut