Valencian technology to fight psoriasis and vitiligo, which affect more than 280 million people worldwide.
SESDERMA Laboratories has a pioneering research project underway with the support of the CDTI (Industrial Technological Development Center) and aims to improve current treatments of psoriasis and vitiligo. It is estimated that there are more than 160 million people worldwide affected by psoriasis and 126 million people suffering from vitiligo, and thanks to the use of NANOTECH, the efficacy of treatments could be improved.
Dermatology professionals admit to feeling frustrated because so far—due to the autoimmune nature of these skin conditions and other technical factors—there are no sustainable treatments to reduce side effects. Researchers at the SESDERMA plant in Puçol, in Valencia, are working on the development of new active ingredient transportation systems with specific functions that ensure greater efficacy.
In short, these studies—which are already at a very advanced stage—will achieve more effective treatments to combat these skin conditions by developing new functionalized liposomes that overcome the limitations that exist in traditional psoriasis and vitiligo treatments.
NANOTECH is a technology that serves for the knowledge and control of matter on a small scale to achieve structures of “nano” size. Since 2008 Sesderma has been a pioneer in the application of NANOTECH in the development and manufacture of its products. During the formulation process, actives are encapsulated in liposomes that have a structure similar to that of the skin, which allows to achieve higher levels of penetration and efficacy in the treatment of skin conditions.
- Due to their small size, liposomes allow for levels of penetration, efficacy and results never achieved before.
- They have an excellent tolerance thanks to their composition identical to that of our cell membranes and the low concentration of active ingredients.
- They allow to transport active ingredients (fat-soluble and water-soluble) in the most selective way possible: peptides, antioxidants, vitamins, cosmetic actives, etc.
- They allow a controlled release of the contained active ingredients, reaching their target area, and enhancing the effect of the product (prolonged release over time).
Psoriasis and vitiligo
These are two skin conditions that manifest themselves in a different way. In the case of psoriasis, the skin has thick, red, well-defined patches and silvery-white scales. Psoriasis is not contagious, although it seems to be transmitted from parents to children. This alteration of the skin itself does not weaken the immune system, but it is a sign that this body’s defense system is not working the way it should. Anything that activates the immune system can cause psoriasis to flare up. People with moderate to severe psoriasis may have their genital area affected, which can have a negative impact on their relationships. In some cases, it has the consequence of having feelings of low self-esteem, shame and lack of attractiveness that, in turn, can directly condition couple relationships.
For dermatologists, psoriasis is a very interesting field of research and in which they invest a lot of effort, since it is still a chronic disease with no definitive cure. For now, advances in medical treatments manage to slow down the evolution, make the symptoms more bearable and achieve increasingly longer periods of remission.
As for vitiligo, it is a skin condition in which there is a loss of color (pigment) of skin areas. The result is the appearance of uneven, white patches that have no pigment, but the skin feels normal.
Vitiligo occurs when immune cells destroy the cells that produce brown pigment (melanocytes). It is believed that this destruction is due to an immune problem. An immune disorder occurs when the system that should normally protect the body from infection attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown.
