Pilot Investigations of Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate on Telomeres and Inclusive Anti-Aging Skincare

The telomere is one of the biological hallmarks of skin aging. Sodium acetylated hyaluronate (SAH) is an acetylated derivative of sodium hyaluronate, produced by a grafting technology that confers higher resistance to hyaluronidase. This study aimed to explore whether SAH is associated with telomere-related endpoints and with clinical signs of skin aging. Two vitro studies were performed, assessing telomerase activity in human adult keratinocytes and telomere length in human normal fibroblasts by quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay kits, with or without SAH. A randomized, split-face, double-centered, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was then conducted on 44 Caucasian and Asian female volunteers, comparing a facial cream containing 0.1% SAH with a placebo cream over 28 days; crow’s feet wrinkle depth, area, and volume, under-eye roughness (Rz), elasticity (R2), and firmness (F4) were measured by PRIMOS 3D and Cutometer® MPA 580 at baseline, day 7, and day 28. In vitro, only the highest SAH concentration (0.15%) was associated with a significant increase in telomerase activity and in telomere length versus control, whereas lower concentrations had no significant effect. Clinically, the SAH cream significantly reduced crow’s feet wrinkle volume and area, improved skin elasticity, and reduced under-eye roughness versus placebo, with non-significant trends for wrinkle depth and firmness. These exploratory findings make SAH an interesting active ingredient for anti-aging skincare cosmetics, combining a curative dimension (clinical improvement of skin-aging parameters) with a preventive dimension (telomere preservation observed in vitro for the first time), and warrant further mechanistic investigation.