Amway and Yale Collaborate for Skin Pigmentation Research

A collaboration has been established between Amway and John Pawelek, PhD, senior researcher at Yale University, to examine the biological mechanisms underlying skin pigmentation. The partnership will jointly expand Pawelek's finding on the cell biology of melanocytes to identify new technologies for Amway's Artistry whitening products.

The two entered an exclusive three-year agreement with the goal to better understand human skin pigmentation disorders, including hyperpigmentation, and develop innovative, safe and effective therapies for these hard-to-treat and often psychologically painful conditions.

According to Amway, the treatments available for hyperpigmentation often have significant side-effects. "Hyperpigmentation is difficult to treat, especially in dark-skinned individuals," said Pawelek in a Amway press release. "If in vitro models could be used to screen for potential inhibitors of pigmentation, this would represent a large step forward toward the development of truly effective treatments for this emotionally and socially challenging skin condition."

Pawelek has helped identify several novel aspects of the cell biology of melanocytes, according to Amway. Initial research will focus on determining whether the unique cell biology of melanoctyes from human melanoma biopsy samples is also present in experimental models, including cell and tissue cultures.

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