New Czech cosmetic brand SAIN® based on university research
Experts from the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the Biotechnology and Biomedical Centre of the Academy of Sciences and Charles University (BIOCEV) teamed up with the Czech company GlobeTech Innovation s.r.o. and combined science with cosmetics. This collaboration resulted in the creation of a unique range of innovative cosmeceutical products under the brand SAIN®, which is based on a patented method of using the bioactive molecule alaptide.
SAIN® is a breakthrough cosmeceutical cream range that influences the physiological and regenerative processes of the skin. Cosmeceuticals combine scientifically proven components that are used in accordance with the requirements for the cosmetic industry. The main component of the products is the alaptide molecule, which was patented in the 1980s when scientists Ing. Evžen Kasafírek, CSc. and RNDr. Václav Plaisner, from the Research Institute for Pharmacy and Biochemistry in Prague, discovered this bioactive molecule with quite extraordinary effects on supporting the natural processes of skin renewal and healing. However, the practical use of this discovery came after almost thirty years, when the alaptide molecule was reinvestigated by a pair of scientists from the 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and the BIOCEV Centre, Prof. RNDr. Vladimír Král, DSc. and MUDr. Pavel Martásek, DrSc. Their cooperation with the Czech company GlobeTech Innovation s.r.o. resulted this year in the introduction of a range of innovative cosmeceutical products of the SAIN® brand. This opened another new avenue for successful cooperation between Czech scientists from Charles University and Czech companies.
How does the alaptide help?
The SAIN® product formulation is based on an innovative way of using a bioactive molecule – the dipeptide alaptide. Soon after its discovery in the 1980s, a number of scientific studies, including pre-clinical studies, were conducted to investigate the effects of alaptide and its potential uses. It was found that alaptide significantly stimulates the growth of healthy cells and has a remarkable regenerative effect wherever it is applied to damaged cells, including topical application to skin damaged by external influences. Thus, it finds application in topical healing peptide mixtures with regenerative effects, but also in aesthetic medicine, cosmetics and wound healing support. Its effects in the healing of chronic, inflamed and complicated wounds, as well as common injuries, post-operative wounds and burns have also been studied. In cosmetics, alaptide enables targeted beneficial effects on skin processes. Therefore, the creams show excellent effects in reducing the signs of ageing and rejuvenating the skin.
Among other things, the originators of the technology have also shown during testing that the mixture of peptide components also effectively reduces pigment spots or birthmarks and prevents the formation of scars after cosmetic procedures.
“Thanks to the significantly improved synthesis and the discovery of the solubility of alaptide in a fat base – i.e. the possibility of applying alaptide in the form of ointment, cream or gel, the way has opened up for new applications in innovative cosmetic preparations and comprehensive skin care,” adds Prof. Martásek, Scientific Director of the BIOCEV Centre.
However, Alaptide has much greater capabilities, which the team continues to work on putting into practice. As the patent dossier states, “The mixture of topical healing peptide components with alaptide is particularly useful in the healing of chronic, inflamed and complicated wounds, as well as common injuries, post-surgical wounds and burns. In healthy patients it reduces the healing time to almost a third, in difficult to heal wounds it reduces the healing time up to 7 times. In combination with other peptide components, alaptide has a huge potential to become an effective helper for doctors, and especially their patients, in the fight against various forms of skin damage. This is especially the case in aesthetic medicine, supporting wound care and healing after surgical and microsurgical procedures, in common wounds, including poorly healing, inflamed or diabetic wounds, where sepsis or infection can be a significant obstacle to wound healing,” Prof. Martásek looks forward to further work.
SAIN® brand philosophy
“Invented at Charles University, made in the Czech Republic, dedicated to the future,” is the motto of the SAIN® brand. Special emphasis is therefore placed on products being manufactured in the Czech Republic in cooperation with local companies, Charles University and the BIOCEV Biomedical Centre. In doing so, there is also a particular emphasis on sustainability and environmental friendliness – from development to the journey to satisfied users.
In the spirit of Czech traditions and craftsmanship, SAIN® creams are presented in unique porcelain cups from Thun 1794 a.s. They meet all the requirements for safety and hygiene, while bringing a new dimension of aesthetics and the tradition of Czech craftsmanship to everyday skin care. The caps for the cups are made from oak wood from the forests of Hradec Králové, which is processed by the design woodworker Roman Buršíček.
“SAIN is a textbook example of successful technology transfer for us. Charles University has completed basic research with groundbreaking findings on the efficacy of alaptide in combination with other substances, and through CUIP was able to find the right partner who not only found a suitable use for the substance in the cosmeceutical industry, but also managed to breathe life into the product and bring it to market. This makes the product easily accessible to all of us, literally “on our own skin,” says Otomar Sláma, Chairman of the Board of CUIP a.s.
