METHOD FOR PRESERVING AND STABILISING PROTEINS, WHICH CAN BE USED FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORMULATIONS OF SANITARY, PHARMACEUTICAL AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS

Abstract

A method for preserving and stabilising proteins is disclosed which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, particularly cell growth factors and/or proteins such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The method includes a dispersion phase, under normal pressure and temperature conditions, in which the proteins are incorporated into an anhydrous medium formed by oily components that have hydrophilic residues and that guarantee interactions with the proteins, while maintaining the native conformation of the proteins, such components being grape seed oil, a base of different components and butylhydroxytoluene.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention, as stated the title of the present specification, relates to a method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

[0002] The object of the invention is focused on a method which envisages the creation of a dispersed system as a means for preservation, stabilization and storage of proteins in an oily phase under normal pressure and temperature conditions. Particularly, the method proposed by the invention is based on the incorporation of proteins, such as cell growth factors such as tales epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), although not limited thereto, in a medium composed of components, such as grape seed oil, a base consisting of various compounds that will be specified later in the present description, and butylhydroxytoluene (BHT), that form the cited oily phase. In particular, the method proposed takes advantage of some chemical groups of the oily phase components promote certain physical-chemical interactions with the residues of proteins that enhance for longer periods of time the maintenance of the native molecular structure of proteins, achieving that such method is simple, economical and of general application, with potential capacity to replace complex preservation techniques and/or aqueous means commonly used for the preservation of proteins.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The field of application of the present invention falls within the industrial chemical sector, focusing particularly on the scope of the industry dedicated to the manufacture of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, in particular those intended to preserve growth factors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Currently the stability in proteins has attracted considerable interest in the chemical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic field. Proteins are used as active substances of numerous treatments in diseases such as diabetes, cancer, haemophilia, myocardial infarction, just to cite some pathologies [Krishnamurthy and Manning, 2002]. Note that the use of protein structures such as growth factors, e.g. the EGF, aroused a great interest in the cosmetic industry in recent years. So, if a protein can not be properly stabilized, it may lose its native structure with consequent loss of its biological activity [Krishnamurthy and Manning, 2002].

[0005] The problem is that the protein stabilization is particularly difficult since they are very susceptible to degradation phenomena: physical, chemical and enzymatic. Chemical degradation is related to deamination, oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis processes and chemical interactions such as disulfide bond interactions. Physical degradation includes surface adsorption, aggregation, dissociation, denaturation, and photolysis processes. In addition, there are factors that influence the aggregation of proteins related to the properties of the dispersion medium, such as temperature (related to the thermodynamics and kinetics of transformation of the structural protein conformation), pH (related to interactions of positive or negative charges with the protein residues), ionic strength (related to salts and their concentration to interact with charged groups) and surfactants (related to conformational thermodynamic stability) [Chi et al., 2003].

[0006] There are technological processes to ensure that proteins remain for longer period of time with its native conformation, said processes can be carried out by physical processes such as freezing (below -10° C.) or lyophilisation (for the elimination of the humidity present in an aqueous solution of protein), however, even the products obtained by these methods suffer from degradation; or chemical processes through the addition of co-solvents may be carried out [Chang and Pikal, 2009].

[0007] The EGF was the first polypeptide isolated and characterized as a growth factor. It has a biological activity related to its native structure capable of stimulating the proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts (with the consequent formation of collagen), induces angiogenesis (formation of new vessels) and performs subsequent vascularisation of the area where it is applied. These properties promote the appearance of new skin with a considerable thick, restoring its elasticity and firmness, thus diminishing the unwanted effects of cellular oxidation and therefore resulting in the elimination of wrinkles [Tang et al., 1994]. Such growth factor has begun to use recently in topical formulations, where very good results have been obtained related to tissue regeneration, the acceleration in the healing of burns, treatment of keloid, acne and stretch marks, even improving outcomes of treatments of surgical type, promotion of the consolidation of skin grafts as well as the post-peeling application. However, said proteins are increasingly used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, but have not been used massively due to its high prices and their difficult stabilisation [Schouest et al., 2012].

[0008] Fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a growth factor that acts to increase the mitotic activity index and DNA synthesis, facilitating the proliferation of various precursor cells, such as chondroblasts, collagenoblasts, and osteoblasts, etc., that form the body's fibrous, connective, and support tissues. It contributes to wound healing, haematopoiesis, angiogenesis, or the embryonic development. To this end, they perform very different functions: a) they contribute to the re-epithelialisation of the tissues damaged during healing; b) they have blood vessel formation inducing-activity; c) they are involved in processes for differentiation of the blood cell lines; and, d) they are involved in the differentiation of skeletal and cardiac muscle, the maturation of the lungs and the specification of the hepatocytes from endoderm cells.

[0009] The object of the present invention is, therefore, the development of a new method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products that, unlike conventional methods, it takes place in oily phase so that it is more simple and economical, having noted that, at least by the applicant, the existence of any document or invention that discloses a method for preserving and stabilising proteins or similar invention that has technical characteristics similar to those here proposed is unaware.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A medium for dispersing proteins the components of which provides the medium with an oily character has been developed. Thus, the EGF, bFGF and other cell growth factors and/or proteins, as stated, are macromolecules with difficult stabilization, since, currently, the majority of dispersion means have aqueous character and achieve the stabilization in a short period of time, through the use of dispersed systems such as emulsions, or expensive and very specific methods that do not ensure a longer life of the protein native structure, such as lyophilisation.

[0011] With the present invention, the development of the EGF and other growth factors and/or proteins has been carried out in oily medium as an intermediate product for use in specific industrial processes, promoting the stability of proteins with respect to the currently existing methods thus achieving a more effective action to the not denatured proteins in such medium not being denatured the proteins in such medium.

[0012] More specifically, according to the method of the present invention, in the formulation the growth factors are surrounded by an anhydrous medium composed of other components that act as adjuvants interacting with the residues of proteins, such components being: grape seed oil, that creates a medium which reduces the electrostatic interactions with the protein residues while maintaining the native conformation of the proteins; base consisting of: Caprylic/Capric triglyceride; PEG-18 castor oil dideate; Propylene glycol; Pentaerythrityl tetra Di-T-Benzyl hydroxy hydrocinnamate; tocopherol, Trisisopropanolamine that promotes the interactions by intermolecular forces with the domains of proteins making the structure thermodynamically more stable; and butylhydroxytoluene (BHT), which acts as an antioxidant, largely avoiding phenomena of chemical degradation by oxidation in proteins.

[0013] Note that the inter-position process of protein with the oily phase components is carried out with appropriate quality; such a process is preferably carried out in clean rooms, under laminar flow conditions, where environmental quality controls as well as microbiological controls are guaranteed to ensure the sterility of the product.

[0014] In short and succinctly, the present invention proposes the development of a method for the preservation, storage and stabilization of proteins which contemplates an anhydrous dispersion phase (i.e., in the absence of water) with environmental and microbiological quality, through the application of oily substances having hydrophilic residues that guarantee interactions with the proteins that keep its conformation in the native state, constituting a reproducible, simple and economic method with regard to others methods that require the use of devices, complex methods and qualified personnel.

[0015] Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention, as well as a way of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to make a more extensive explanation in order that any expert in this area will understand its scope and the advantages that can be derived from it, making known that, within reason it could be put into practice in other embodiments differing in detail from that indicated by way of example, and which will obtain the same degree of protection, provided that they do not alter, change, or modify its fundamental principle.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

[0016] Chang L L, Pikal M J. Mechanisms of Protein Stabilization in the Solid State. J. Pharm. Sci. 98; 2009: 2886-2908.

[0017] Chi E Y, Krishnan S, Randolph T W, Carpenter J F. Physical stability of proteins in aqueous solution: mechanism and driving forces in nonnative protein aggregation. Pharm Res. 2003; 20: 1325-36.

[0018] Krishnamurthy R, Manning M C. The stability factor: importance in formulation development. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2002; 3: 361-71.

[0019] Schouest J M, Lun T K, Moy R L. Improved texture and appearance of barley produced, synthetic, human-like epidermal growth factor (EGF) serum. J. Drugs Dermatol. 2012; 11 (5): 613-620.

[0020] Tang Z, Zhang Z, Zheng Y et al. Cell aging of human diploid fibroblasts is associated with changes in responsiveness to epidermal growth factor and changes in HER-2 expression. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 1994; 73 (1): 57-67

Claims

1. Method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, particularly cell growth factors and/or proteins, such as the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), characterised in that it comprises a dispersion phase, under normal pressure and temperature conditions, in which the proteins are incorporated into an anhydrous medium formed by oily components having hydrophilic residues and guarantee interactions with the proteins while maintaining the native conformation of the proteins.

2. Method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, according to claim 1, characterized in that the oily phase components comprise grape seed oil.

3. Method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, according to claim 1, characterised in that the oily phase components comprise abase consisting of Caprylic/Capric triglyceride; PEG-18 castor oil dideate; Propylene glycol; Pentaerythrityl tetra Di-T-Benzyl hydroxy hydrocinnamate; tocopherol, Trisisopropanolamine.

4. Method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, according to claim 1, characterised in that the oily phase components comprise butylhydroxytoluene.

5. Method for preserving and stabilising proteins, which can be used for the industrial development of formulations of sanitary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, according to claim 1, characterised in that the oily phase components are grape seed oil, butylhydroxytoluene and a base consisting of: Caprylic/Capric triglyceride; PEG-18 castor oil dideate; Propylene glycol; Pentaerythrityl tetra Di-T-Benzyl hydroxy hydrocinnamate; tocopherol, Trisisopropanolamine.

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