Clinical Efficacy of Adiponectin-Stimulating Peptide on UV-Induced Skin Damage
, Sungwoo Kim 3, Yeonjae Kim 3, Sekyoo Jeong 3,* and Hyun-jung Kim 4,*Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe manuscript aims to investigate the efficacy of pentasodium tetracarboxymethyl hexanoyl dipeptide-12 (PTHD-12) on adiponectin expression (an adipokine that plays a critical role in metabolic regulation and exhibits potential protective effects in various physiological systems) and on prevention of UV-induced skin damage in both ex vivo and clinical studies. The paper is interesting. However, the abstract should be rewritten and additional details about the experimental design are needed for clarity.
- The name of the tested compound (PTHD-12) should appear in the abstract. Additionally, the UVB dose and experimental design in the in vitro and ex vivo study should be addressed, including the duration of cell/skin tissue treatment with PTHD-12 before or after UVB irradiation.
- For clarity and reproducibility of results, please provide details about the UVB wavelength, source of UVB, distance between the UVB lamp and cell surface, and exposure conditions (such as whether plate covers were used during UV irradiation).
- For the clinical study, important information is missing, including: the time interval between product application and UV irradiation, the amount of product applied per skin dorsal area, and the concentration of PTHD-12 at the application site. This information is essential for understanding how this compound could be applied for protection against UV-induced skin damage.
Author Response
Comment 1: The name of the tested compound (PTHD-12) should appear in the abstract. Additionally, the UVB dose and experimental design in the in vitro and ex vivo study should be addressed, including the duration of cell/skin tissue treatment with PTHD-12 before or after UVB irradiation.
- Thank you for reviewer’s comments. As reviewer suggested, the name of the tested compound, pentasodium tetracarboxymethyl hexanoyl dipeptide-12 (PTHD-12) was added to the abstract (line 16 – 17). For the clarity of the manuscript, “test peptide” was replaced by “PTHD-12” through the manuscript as well.
Comment 2: For clarity and reproducibility of results, please provide details about the UVB wavelength, source of UVB, distance between the UVB lamp and cell surface, and exposure conditions (such as whether plate covers were used during UV irradiation).
- Thank you for reviewer’s comments. As reviewer pointed out, the detailed information for the UVB irradiation was described in the Materials and Methods section (line 101 – 102). The distance between UVB lamp and cell surface was decided by measuring the UV energy and plate cover was removed during the UV irradiation.
Comment 3: For the clinical study, important information is missing, including: the time interval between product application and UV irradiation, the amount of product applied per skin dorsal area, and the concentration of PTHD-12 at the application site. This information is essential for understanding how this compound could be applied for protection against UV-induced skin damage.
- Thank you for reviewer’s comment and authors apologize for missing the detailed information. After the UV irradiation, participants were administrated to apply the product twice a day, morning and night (line 205). While the amount of product application was not strictly specified, participants were asked to use sufficient amount of product covering the test sites. Also, the concentration of PTHD-12 was 100 ppm in the final formulation (table 1).
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis work deals with the effects of an adiponectin-stimulating peptide to attenuate UV-induced skin damage. The topic is of great interest and innovative in the field of cosmetics, specifically, for the regeneration and protection of damaged skin and wound healing.
The experimental design is appropriate to test the hypothesis, but subsection 2.4 (and discussion) can be improved.
Tables, figures, and schemes are suitable and references are relevant.
Therefore, in order to be approved, minor revisions should be made.
Following you can find some comments.
1_Some spelling mistakes should be corrected:
- Lines 98 and 151: correct the superscript (50 mJ/cm2)
- Line 125 and 155: correct 4 °C.
- Line 136: correct the sentence; it is not clear.
2_Section 2. 2.4. Clinical efficacy testing (and Discussion)
The placebo formula is not really a placebo; it includes active ingredients such as niacinamide, panthenol, and adenosine. All of them have important skin-repairing activities. Some examples can be seen below:
Panthenol can accelerate epidermal barrier regeneration and decrease TEWL (DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2017.1325310)
Niacinamide can exert antioxidant and protective activities in the skin showing an attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses caused by UV light, and also reduce the damage to the skin barrier (doi: 10.3390/antiox13040425)
Adenosine acts as an endogenous regulator of inflammatory processes, facilitating the transition from inflammation to healing, and therefore, is considered to have therapeutic potential in the management of inflammatory skin disorders. (doi: 10.3390/ijms25115810)
Therefore, it is necessary to better explain the reasons why this formula has been chosen as a control (the most appropriate would be an excipient without active ingredients), since it cannot be proven that part of the repairing effects is due to the combination or synergy of these three active ingredients with PTHD-12.
Author Response
Comment 1: Some spelling mistakes should be corrected:
- Lines 98 and 151: correct the superscript (50 mJ/cm2)
- Line 125 and 155: correct 4 °C.
- Line 136: correct the sentence; it is not clear.
- Thank you for reviewer’s comment and authors apologize for typo errors. The superscript (50 mJ/cm2) errors were corrected (line 101, line 155). The Celsius degree unit was corrected through the manuscript (line 96, 118, 129, 151, 158, 161, 165, and 199). The sentence of line 136 was revised to deliver clear meaning (line 140).
Comment 2: The placebo formula is not really a placebo; it includes active ingredients such as niacinamide, panthenol, and adenosine. All of them have important skin-repairing activities. Some examples can be seen below:
Panthenol can accelerate epidermal barrier regeneration and decrease TEWL (DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2017.1325310)
Niacinamide can exert antioxidant and protective activities in the skin showing an attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses caused by UV light, and also reduce the damage to the skin barrier (doi: 10.3390/antiox13040425)
Adenosine acts as an endogenous regulator of inflammatory processes, facilitating the transition from inflammation to healing, and therefore, is considered to have therapeutic potential in the management of inflammatory skin disorders. (doi: 10.3390/ijms25115810)
Therefore, it is necessary to better explain the reasons why this formula has been chosen as a control (the most appropriate would be an excipient without active ingredients), since it cannot be proven that part of the repairing effects is due to the combination or synergy of these three active ingredients with PTHD-12.
- Thank you for reviewer’s thoughtful comment. Authors agree that the base formula used for the study has several bio-active ingredients, which may induce potential anti-UV effects. Therefore, authors changed the title of the product as comparator, instead of placebo, through the manuscript.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe author has revised the manuscript according to the suggestions provided. I believe the manuscript is now suitable for publication in Cosmetics.
