Development of a new biosynthetic hyaluronic acid for enhanced skin moisturization and anti-aging
Chemical Product Design and Engineering (CPD&E)
CPD&E Keynote Lecture 1
Keywords: hyaluronic acid, biopolymer, microbial fermentation, Bacillus subitilis, cosmetics
Hyaluronic acid (also referred to as HA or hyaluronan) is a linear, unbranched polysaccharide made of alternating N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid monomers. HA is ubiquitous in human and animal tissues, where it has significant structural, rheological, physiological, and biological functions. HA’s distinctive viscoelastic properties, coupled with its lack of immunogenicity or toxicity, have led to a wide range of applications in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries including skin moisturizers, osteoarthritis treatment, ophthalmic surgery, adhesion prevention after abdominal surgery, and wound healing. At present, the annual worldwide market for HA is over $1 billion.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is currently obtained commercially from rooster combs, and certain strains of Streptococcus that synthesize this biopolymer to form a non-immunogenic outer capsule. However, these are less than ideal sources. Recovery of HA from rooster combs necessitates extensive purification to remove antigenic avian proteins, while capsule-producing Streptococci are fastidious organisms that can be fastidious to grow, are natively pathogenic, and have the potential to produce exotoxins. Moreover, both extracted HA and microbial HA are purified using harsh organic solvents.
Using its core competencies, Novozymes A/S, a biotech-based company, has developed a new fermentation process relying on an alternative, non-pathogenic and safe host, namely Bacillus subtilis, for producing HA and to avoid the above complications. The low protein background produced by the Bacillus subtilis host as well as the lack of pathogenicity allow the use of a unique production process relying on defined recovery steps, during which no organic solvents are used and followed by spray-drying. This leads to the production of a medium molecular weight HA (750 kDa-1 MDa) with a polydispersity below 1.5 in the form of a very fine powder composed of micro- and nanospheres. Finally, clinical tests have shown that Bacillus-derived HA exhibits advantageous moisturizing, anti-wrinkle and skin elasticity properties.
Presented Wednesday 19, 11:00 to 11:30, in session CPD&E Keynote Lecture 1.
