SKULACEV ION - Innovative Anti-age Agents

MECHANISM OF ACTION

The mechanism of action of SkQ1 involves at least two extremely complex and novel concepts: delivering a compound inside mitochondria and reducing ROS production inside mitochondria in a controlled and sustainable manner. SkQ1 molecule successfully addresses these two aspects as our experimental work has shown.

And unlike the most of conventional drugs, SkQ1 is capable of treating a variety of seemingly different disorders across all therapeutic areas. SkQ1 has been shown to be effective in animal models of many conditions attributable to ageing process from ophthalmology to neurodegeneration and CV disorders. Our recent clinical studies demonstrated similar direct effects on human organism.

SKULACHEV ION SKQ IN WIKIPEDIA

SkQ SKULACHEV ION is a class of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, developed by Professor Vladimir Skulachev and his team. In a broad sense, SkQ is a lipophilic cation, linked via saturated hydrocarbon chain to an antioxidant. Due to its lipophilic properties, SkQ can effectively penetrate through various cell membranes. The positive charge provides directed transport of the whole molecule including antioxidant moiety into the negatively charged mitochondrial matrix.>

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RESEARCH

Research is Vladimir Petrovich Skulachev, biochemist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dean of the founding of the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow State University, and a team of about 100 professionals.

THEORY: reactive oxygen species are known to present serious danger for living cells and whole organisms, especially with age.

TECHNOLOGY: SkQ1 reduces reactive oxygen species production inside mitochondria in a controlled and sustainable manner.

RESULTS: Several SkQ1-based drugs targeting various age-related disorders are being developed in our labs.

In 2004, a new substance called SkQ1 was synthesized in the group of professor Vladimir P. Skulachev in the Moscow State University. ” The name SkQ1 was given to the substance as the first representative of a particularly potent class of molecules named “SkQ” – the term introduced by the team to describe molecules containing ion Sk an a quinone.

A part of SkQ1 coined “Skulachev ion” or Sk functions as a molecular “locomotive” or “towing truck” carrying the other part of the molecule – an extremely active antioxidant plastoquinone – into mitochondria. Both theoretical calculations and experimental results showed that SkQ1 is delivered into mitochondria in an extremely targeted and efficient manner. The physics of mitochondrial membrane and the unusual properties of “Skulachev ions” direct SkQ1 into the inner leaflet of the inner mitochondrial membrane with high precision.

Presence of SkQ1 in mitochondrial membrane enables mitochondria to protect itself from reactive oxygen species (ROS) by breaking chain reaction of lipid destruction. This ability of our molecule to protect cells against oxidative stress plays a very important role in treating patients suffering from various age-related disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and various ophthalmic conditions.