10 years of plant stem cells: COSSMA

Interview with:
Dr Fred Zülli, Managing
Director, Mibelle Biochemistry
Buchs, Switzerland
www.mibellebiochemistry.com

fig. 1: Callus tissue on agar plate. Photo: Mibelle Biochemistry

COSSMA: What gave rise to the creation of plant stem cells for cosmetics?

Dr Fred Zülli, Managing Director, Mibelle Biochemistry: At In-Cosmetics 2008 in Amsterdam, we launched the product PhytoCellTec Malus Domestica as a new active onto the market, and in doing so we pioneered the trend of stem cell cosmetics. More than ten years after the Amsterdam launch, this trend continues to grow. Research into life science topics such as nanotechnology, neuroscience or stem cells is a very promising and successful approach for bringing innovation to the cosmetic industry.

How are plant stem cells created?

Plant stem cells can be obtained with the help of plant cell culture technology. This involves a plant material, such as a leaf or a fruit, which is then wounded and incubated on special agar plates, see fig. 1. The plant develops a wound-healing tissue called callus. This tissue is based on de-differentiated cells, which are pluripotent stem cells.

fig. 2: Skin renewal by epidermal stem cells. Photo: Mibelle Biochemistry

Please explain to us how these plant stem cells can be produced for cosmetic applications?

The large-scale production of plant stem cells is a major challenge. From the plate, the cells have to be transferred into liquid media containing sugar. This means that the entire process of growing the cells has to be conducted under strict sterile conditions which is difficult to realise as the plant stem cells grow very slowly in comparison to bacteria. However, we solved this problem by constructing our own disposable bag reactor called 5-wave bio-reactors. These reactors allow us to simultaneously cultivate five times 25 litres of cell cultures.

How do plant stem cells work in cosmetics?

The skin undergoes a constant cell turnover in order to maintain, renew and repair its tissue. Adult stem cells that reside in special niches in different layers of the skin are responsible for this regenerative capacity. Stem cells are defined by their ability to self-renew and differentiate into mature specialised cell types. However, stem cells are also subject to ageing which leads to reduced vitality and a decrease in the stem cell pool. The depletion of stem cell activity is a major cause of skin ageing. Therefore, cosmetic ingredients that vitalise skin stem cells provide a real anti-ageing potential, see fig. 2.

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