Collagen

Restylane, a popular cosmetic treatment for temporarily plumping out wrinkles, actually makes the skin produce more collagen, the natural stuff that makes skin look young, researchers said last week. That means the product, which millions of people have had injected around their lips, cheeks and foreheads, has effects beyond what its manufacturers claim, the team at the University of Michigan Health System reported.

A biological Jell-O with a structure as precise as a microchip's could someday be the surgeon's patch to seal large, deep wounds and help them regrow skin. Using techniques borrowed from silicon chip design, researchers at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., created a network of channels in soft sheets of collagen, a main component of skin. Body cells fill those channels with blood vessels — and that crucial blood supply, in turn, coaxes skin to regrow. This tissue template, described online May 6 in the journal Biomaterials, works well in mice.

An experimental synthetic cornea implanted in 10 patients may be a potential alternative to cadaver corneas for curing vision loss due to corneal inflammation and scarring, researchers said Wednesday. Eye surgeons currently use primarily cadaver corneas for transplants, but that requires the use of anti-rejection drugs and presents a risk of infection. Plastic corneas can also be used, but they present other problems and are generally tried only when tissue transplants have failed.

Scientists have long grown cells in flat dishes, which is handy if you're studying flat tissues. But organs have bulges and ridges and other shapes, and growing cells to mimic that geometry has been a challenge. Now, researchers have come up with a simple way to raise cells in tall, thin columns that better re-create the natural structure of the human intestine. It should prove useful in lab studies and perhaps someday in people without enough intestine of their own, says Dr. Daniel Teitelbaum, a gastrointestinal surgeon at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the study.

Johnson & Johnson won U.S. approval for Evolence, an injectable wrinkle filler that will compete in a market forecast to grow to more than $847 million by 2012. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the collagen-based filler for "correction of moderate to deep facial wrinkles and folds," J&J said. The drug was approved in Europe in 2004. Evolence uses collagen from pigs.

Rats that eat high levels of a natural sugar known as fructose seem to age faster than other rats--and the same could be true for people who eat too much sweet junk food, Israeli researchers said Monday. Fructose, found naturally in honey and fruit, is used widely in foods ranging from soft drinks to yogurt. Although its sweet taste is popular, the sugar could cause wrinkles and health problems, the researchers said. Dr.

Scientists have long grown cells in flat dishes, which is handy if you're studying flat tissues. But organs have bulges and ridges and other shapes, and growing cells to mimic that geometry has been a challenge. Now, researchers have come up with a simple way to raise cells in tall, thin columns that better re-create the natural structure of the human intestine. It should prove useful in lab studies and perhaps someday in people without enough intestine of their own, says Dr. Daniel Teitelbaum, a gastrointestinal surgeon at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the study.

A few years ago, a lobbyist offered to help state Rep. Carol Donovan visit the big, four-smokestacked factory off Route 93, a few miles north of Boston. But when Donovan appeared as scheduled, she was told she would not be given a tour. All she saw was the inside of a conference room. "If there's nothing going on, why are they so protective, and why are they keeping everyone out, and why are they so suspicious?" she asked. "It makes me suspicious of what's going on."

Time may heal all wounds, but the scars that remain can be unsightly, itchy, stiff and painful. Pharmacy aisles beckon with "clinically proven, doctor-recommended" scar products, and the Internet teems with anecdotes of different creams and elixirs that supposedly erase old scars or prevent new ones from forming. But not all of those claims stick. "There are a thousand wives' tales and a whole bunch of things you can buy, but none have scientific validity to speak of," says Dr. Terence Davidson, a professor of surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Imagine having the fountain of youth as close at hand as the bathroom. We're not there yet — but there's a burgeoning number of at-home, high-tech beauty gadgets that claim to smooth wrinkles, whiten teeth and remove hair without the need to invest in pricey beauty treatments at the spa, dermatologist or plastic surgeon's office. Some of these gadgets are so high-tech the Food and Drug Administration considers them medical devices, so approach the world of cosmetic gadgetry with caution.

The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged Thursday that it made a mistake in overruling its scientists and approving a knee implant after the agency was lobbied by four members of Congress. The FDA said in a statement that it would seek to remove the device from the market, but also would meet with the company that makes it, ReGen Biologics Inc. of Hackensack, N.J., to see if there is a process through which they could apply again for approval for the implant. The device, called a Menaflex Collagen Scaffold, was approved by the FDA in December 2008 to repair and reinforce the meniscus, a C-shaped disc of tissue that cushions and helps lubricate bones in the knee joint.

An experimental synthetic cornea implanted in 10 patients may be a potential alternative to cadaver corneas for curing vision loss due to corneal inflammation and scarring, researchers said Wednesday. Eye surgeons currently use primarily cadaver corneas for transplants, but that requires the use of anti-rejection drugs and presents a risk of infection. Plastic corneas can also be used, but they present other problems and are generally tried only when tissue transplants have failed.

When Angelina Jolie attended the Cannes Film Festival this year, she caused a stir -- and not just on the red carpet. Beauty boards buzzed about her radiant skin, speculating on the recent transformation. Was it plastic surgery? A chemical peel? British magazine Grazia claimed to have the inside scoop -- derma rolling.

New Zealand sheep's wool, silk fabric, Canadian salmon skin, crab shells. This odd melange sounds like the beginning of a found-art project or a culinary misfire, but at the Tom Brophy Salon, it's the ingredients list for a new hair salve.

Johnson & Johnson won U.S. approval for Evolence, an injectable wrinkle filler that will compete in a market forecast to grow to more than $847 million by 2012. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the collagen-based filler for "correction of moderate to deep facial wrinkles and folds," J&J said. The drug was approved in Europe in 2004. Evolence uses collagen from pigs.

Restylane, a popular cosmetic treatment for temporarily plumping out wrinkles, actually makes the skin produce more collagen, the natural stuff that makes skin look young, researchers said last week. That means the product, which millions of people have had injected around their lips, cheeks and foreheads, has effects beyond what its manufacturers claim, the team at the University of Michigan Health System reported.

There's no denying the allure of a beautiful complexion -- or of an illuminated department store beauty counter, filled with elegant frosted jars and sleek glass bottles that promise a dewy glow and taut skin. But there's also no denying the appeal of lower price tags, found on similar products at your local drugstore. At the department store, you'll encounter trained sales associates ready to help you choose; at the drugstore, you're on your own, facing lengthy rows of pump bottles and squeeze tubes that all claim to moisturize, balance, tighten skin or erase wrinkles.

Have you ever slathered on sunscreen but somehow managed to miss your nose? Or the back of your hand? Or the tops of your feet? You're not the only one. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, most people apply less than half of the optimal amount of sunscreen, a habit that adds up to a lot of burned patches and uncomfortable rides home from the beach.

Botox was just the beginning. The popularity of the injectable toxin overwhelmingly proved that people wanted wrinkle cures without surgery. So as hundreds of thousands of Americans rushed to get the muscle-paralyzing treatment -- even those who had never before sought cosmetic procedures -- plastic surgeons and drug manufacturers were working to come up with other simple tricks to smooth aging skin. They seem to have succeeded.

Rats that eat high levels of a natural sugar known as fructose seem to age faster than other rats--and the same could be true for people who eat too much sweet junk food, Israeli researchers said Monday. Fructose, found naturally in honey and fruit, is used widely in foods ranging from soft drinks to yogurt. Although its sweet taste is popular, the sugar could cause wrinkles and health problems, the researchers said. Dr.