ExoCoBio obtains US patent for exosome cosmetic ingredient

ExoCoBio, one of the top three exosome companies in the world, has obtained a patent (US Application No: 17/141,693) from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a cosmetic composition containing rose stem cell-derived exosomes or extracellular vesicles.

In seeking the patent, the company used its proprietary technology ExoSCRT™ process to mass-culture stem cells derived from roses and isolate high-purity exosomes (RSCE™) from the culture medium. Various efficacy evaluations were performed on the mass-produced RSCE™, resulting in a significant increase in collagen production from human skin fibroblasts.

The company explains exosomes as vesicles made up of various bioactive substances 30-200 nanometres. Their purpose is to as key signalling molecules between cells in the human body. They are secreted for intercellular communication and play a crucial role in inducing immune regulation or activation in recipient cells, thereby influencing the microenvironment surrounding the cells. Exosomes have the potential to target specific cells and enhance the efficacy of active ingredients, making them highly promising for applications in various fields such as cosmetics, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

As of April 2023, ExoCoBio currently holds a total of 54 patents, including five patents related to RSCE™, and 14 scientific publications including submitted manuscripts internationally. The existing patents for RSCE™ cover the effects of collagen increase (KR 10-2058444), whitening by melanin reduction (KR 10-2261434), anti-inflammatory effects by IL-6 reduction, and wound healing by accelerated cellular migration (KR 10-2341932).

Compared to existing plant exosome-related patents of simple extraction of exosomes contained from plant juice, ExoCoBio's method is distinctive as it specifically mass-cultures plant stem cells and employs its proprietary technology, ExoSCRT™ to separate and purify high-purity exosomes. RSCE™ has been demonstrated to be easily delivered to human skin fibroblasts, with a higher survival rate for human hair cells compared to conventional rose stem cell culture medium filtrate.

The analysis of RSCE™ revealed that it contains about 200 types of miRNAs and more than 90 types of proteins, some of which are similar to those found in humans.

To enable the industrial application of RSCE™, ExoCoBio has already registered them as a cosmetic ingredient (INCI Name: Rosa Damascena Callus Extracellular Vesicles) with the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) in the United States in 2020.

In March 2023, the ASCE+™ product line received the "The Best Cosmetics" award at The Aesthetic and Anti-aging Medicine World Congress (AMWC), the world's top anti-aging congress held in Monaco.

Mr. Byong Cho, CEO/CTO of ExoCoBio, said, "To make new scientific discoveries and create new exosome industries, we have been significant investment in the research and development of plant stem cell-derived exosomes, including roses, over the past four years. We believe that the plant exosome field is in the early stages and has a very high potential for industrial application. In particular, with the most data and patents, ExoCoBio has been at the forefront of plant stem cell-derived exosome research worldwide.