Inflammatory Skin Diseases Could Be Treated With Green Tea In The Future

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Inflammatory Skin Diseases Could Be Treated With Green Tea In The

Future

 

Green tea could hold promise as a new treatment for skin disorders

such as psoriasis and dandruff, Medical College of Georgia

researchers say.

 

Researchers studied an animal model for inflammatory skin diseases,

which are often characterized by patches of dry, red, flaky skin

caused by the inflammation and overproduction of skin cells. Those

treated with green tea showed slower growth of skin cells and the

presence of a gene that regulates the cells' life cycles.

 

" Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease, causes the skin to become thicker

because the growth of skin cells is out of control, " says Dr. Stephen

Hsu, an oral biologist in the MCG School of Dentistry and lead

investigator on the study published in the Aug. 18 edition of

Experimental Dermatology. " In psoriasis, immune cells, which usually

protect against infection, instead trigger the release of cytokines,

which causes inflammation and the overproduction of skin cells. "

 

Other autoimmune diseases with similar side effects include lupus,

which can lead to skin lesions, and dandruff.

 

Green tea, already shown to suppress inflammation, helps by

regulating the expression of Caspase-14, a protein in genes that

regulates the life cycle of a skin cell.

 

" That marker guides cells by telling them when to differentiate, die

off and form a skin barrier, " Dr. Hsu says. " In people with

psoriasis, that process is interrupted and the skin cells don't die

before more are created and the resulting lesions form. "

 

Animal models treated with green tea also showed reduced levels of

proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a gene expressed when skin cells

multiply. In psoriasis, the gene is over-expressed and speeds

production of skin cells.

 

" Before treatment, the antigen, PCNA, was present in all layers of

the skin, " Dr. Hsu says. " Typically, PCNA is only found in the basal

layer, the innermost layer where skin cells continually divide and

new cells push the older ones to the skin surface, where they

eventually slough off. After being treated with green tea, the animal

models showed near-normal levels of PCNA in only the basal layers. "

 

This research is important because some treatments for psoriasis and

dandruff can have dangerous side effects, he says.

 

" The traditional treatment of ultraviolet light and medication, while

it can control the lesions and be used long term, may cause squamous

cell carcinoma -- the second most common form of skin cancer, " Dr.

Hsu says. " Some of the most effective anti-dandruff shampoos also

have carcinogens in them. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

allows that in small amounts, the bottom line is that we don't know

the long-term effects of using those products continuously. "

 

Green tea, which is plant-derived, may be an alternative, he says.

But scientists must work to overcome some barriers with the

treatment.

 

The chemicals in green tea are so active that they are oxidized too

quickly when mixed with other ingredients. They also dissolve in

water, which cannot penetrate the skin's barrier.

 

Researchers are looking for a balanced formula that can dissolve in

fats, which can permeate the skin, Dr. Hsu says.

 

" There are no cures for autoimmune diseases. But it is possible that

this is a non-toxic way to regulate them. We need further study -- on

humans -- to determine the full effects. "

 

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.

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