SOLAR-protect: Can tomato extracts protect skin from aging?

Maintaining healthy skin as we age is vital to prevent a number of skin conditions and diseases, including cancer. Plant extracts are widely used in the skin care industry as a source of biologically active, natural products and include stilbenes, such as resveratrol (found in red wine), which have protective effects against premature skin aging particularly effects associated with exposure to UV-A and UV-B light.
The aim of his project is to explore the protective effects of extracts of tomatoes engineered to produce very high levels of pterostilbenes and certain vitamins, developed by our industrial partner, Persephone Bio, in human skin aging models.
The project will adopt the following strategies:
- Development of in vitro human skin aging models (UV light; inflammaging). Effects of tomato extracts will be assessed by analysis of skin protein expression/distribution as a consequence of inflammation and oxidative stress. Approaches include human skin explant culture, immunocytochemical staining, quantitative proteomics and MALDI-Imaging Mass spectrometry.
- Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) will be used to measure the protection conferred by natural products and to explore physiological read-outs.
- The analysis of combined data to develop an understanding of mechanisms underpinning protection conferred by plant extracts.