Premium Beauty News - What are your areas of research?
Jean-François Nicolas - Our activities and research focus not only in the pathophysiology of allergic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, atopic contact dermatitis, but also on drug allergies. We work on understanding the cellular mechanisms involved, we develop diagnostic and prediction tools and propose new therapeutic strategies. We have cellular and animal models related to allergic contact eczema, atopic dermatitis helping us identify the molecules and cells responsible for the inflammation and those that could be treatment targets.
Our teams are organized around three structures, two clinical services, part of the University Hospital of Lyon namely the Service of Allergology and Clinical Immunology headed by Frédéric Bérard and the Clinical Research Unit on diagnostics, treatments and drug testing under the responsibility of Catherine Goujon and the team from INSERM 851 [1]. Our work of course is oriented towards the medical domain but we have been working for many years with the cosmetic and dermocosmetic industry. Lyon is a recognized Pole of expertise in skin biology, and theEuropean Centre of dermocosmetology (CED) is a part of it.
Premium Beauty News - What work did you undertake for the cosmetic industry?
Jean-François Nicolas - Through our knowledge in immunization and in the development of contact allergies, the cosmetic industry with whom we have been working for more than twenty years, is interested in our work. Moreover, as specialists of in chemico, in silico, in vitro alternative methods, we develop in vitro tests of sensitization to contact allergens. Currently, we are studying an alternative method to animal testing, as required by the European Directive.
We also just finished a blind study on the detection of low allergens. Out of 16 blind tested compounds, we managed to single out 10 of the 12 allergens present which imparts this test with an excellent sensitivity/specificity ratio. We are also involved in a European program "Cosmetics Europe" whose goal is to achieve the development of an in vitro alternative test on T cells (hTCPA test for Human T Cell Priming Assay).
Many manufacturers also ask us to identify potential allergens in their products, fragrances, hair care, skincare.
Premium Beauty News - We regularly read in the mainstream press that people are becoming increasingly allergic. What is your insight, as an expert on this subject?
Jean-François Nicolas - I’m not sure whether allergies have increased or not, however there are an increasing number of sensitive people and in this group there are non-allergic sensitive subjects and allergic sensitive subjects. The person we call allergic will be immunised against the molecule, it will have developed antibodies or specific lymphocytes to the molecule and this is what is responsible for inflammation and the allergic disease. The non-allergic hypersensitive person will be sensitive to the effect of the pro inflammatory molecule leading to the inflammation.
At the maximum 10 patients out of 100 will be allergic, with an extreme majority (90%) which is non-allergic with an hypersensitivity. The more and more frequent exposure to pro-inflammatory products like chemicals are predisposing factors. When the tissues’ biological adaptability is overcome, inflammatory reactions occur. Each individual once a certain amount of exposure to a molecule is reached can become hypersensitive but cofactors often come into play like health conditions, stress, and food.
Premium Beauty News - Fragrances are once again stigmatized in some headlines, as a source of allergens and some media do not hesitate to stress on the fact that 10% of the population is allergic to perfumes, it seems a lot?
Jean-François Nicolas - Anything can be an allergen, it all depends of the dose. When we talk about 10% of the population being allergic to perfume, the conditions under which this result was found must be specified. Studies are carried out using patch testing. Molecules are dissolved in Vaseline and applied with an occlusive patch for 48 hours, hence the discovered allergies are not usage ones. Conditions are very different from a sprayed perfume on the skin in the morning and sometimes only on the clothes. Compared to conditions of use, the percentage of people allergic to hydro-alcoholic perfumes is much lower, probably 1/1000.
Premium Beauty News - Are there any other solutions to counter the allergenic effect of some molecules than the eviction or a desensitizing therapeutic treatment?
Jean-François Nicolas - A line of research could be to "quench" allergenic molecules against one another and then to see how they react. Place a molecule with a high allergenic power like hexyl cinnamic aldehyde in a assay like for example the hTCPA and see if its effect could not be inhibited in combination with other allergens. People should know that allergens and infectious agents are necessary to insure our good health; it’s just a question of dose.
