Peptides stimulating synthesis of extracellular matrix used in anti-ageing cosmetics: Are they clinically tested? A systematic review of the literature

Peptides stimulating synthesis of extracellular matrix are now commonly used in the production of anti-ageing cosmetics. However, much uncertainty still exists about the methodology of their clinical assessment. The aim of the study was to review the literature for clinical study designs assessing the efficacy of these peptides. The authors searched systematically publications indexed in PubMed, Scope and Web of Science, according to the PRISMA protocol. Altogether 12 scientific papers, reporting results of 15 independent studies were identified. Out of these 15 studies, only six used a placebo control. Double-blinding was applied in five out of 15 studies. Nine studies were based on female-only populations. For the product performance evaluation, most of the studies (10 out of the 15) used image-based methods. The literature on the topic is sparse. The studies carried out so far have many methodological limitations. Most of the clinical experiments hitherto conducted were non-double-blind and used no placebo control. There is a need for better planned and controlled clinical trials in this area.