Melanotan 1

Potential Benefits of Melanotan 1

• Treats various skin disorders [1-17]
• Prevents heart disease [18-21]
• Fights inflammation [22-29]
• Lowers blood pressure [30]
• Improves cognitive function [31-35]
• Promotes recovery following a stroke [36]
• Promotes fat loss [37-38]

What is Melanotan 1?

Melanotan 1, also known as afamelanotide, is a medication used for the treatment of light-related skin conditions and prevention of skin cancer. This peptide is also used for body tanning and can be given through nasal sprays and injections.

How Melanotan 1 Works?

Melanotan 1 primarily increases the process of melanin production known as melanogenesis. It does this by binding to the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1). This process reduces sun-damage to the skin exposed to ultraviolet rays and also creates beneficial effects on a broad range of skin-related illnesses.

Chemical Structure of Melanotan 1

Research on Melanotan 1

Treats various Skin Disorders

Evidence suggests that the ability of melanotan 1 to boost the production of the skin pigment called melanin is beneficial in the treatment of various skin conditions:

1. Results from several key Phase II and III clinical trials found that melanotan 1 can help treat erythropoietic protoporphyria, a painful skin condition caused by sensitivity to sunlight. [1-6]
2. In patients with generalized vitiligo (pale white skin patches), the administration of afamelanotide resulted in faster and deeper repigmentation. [7-8]
3. In patients with mild to moderate acne, melanotan 1 treatment reduced symptoms without adverse side effects. [9]
4. In patients suffering from polymorphic light eruption (skin rashes due to sun exposure), melanotan 1 treatment reduced skin sensitivity and other related symptoms. [10]
5. In patients with skin sensitivity caused by sunlight, afamelanotide enabled patients to spend up to seven times longer in direct sunlight without experiencing pain than patients who received placebo treatment. [11]
6. A study reported that afamelanotide can help treat pre-cancerous skin lesions of the head, forearms, and hands in patients who had an organ transplant. [12]
7. In patients with sunlight-induced skin sensitivity and itching, melanotan 1 significantly reduced the symptoms and increased the length of exposure to the sun. [13-15]
8. In patients, melanotan 1 therapy combined with UV-B light or sunlight was significantly effective for skin tanning in response to light. [16]
9. In Caucasian individuals with MC1R variant alleles, melanotan 1 administration effectively increased the melanin content of the skin, which helps protect the epidermis from damage caused by UV light. [17]

Prevents Heart Disease

Melanotan 1 has also been found to regulate important mechanisms involved in heart protection:

1. In mice with atherosclerosis (plaque formation within the heart arteries), melanotan 1 prevented the formation of plaques and heart dysfunction. [18]
2. A mouse study also found that melanotan 1 induced relaxation of the heart arteries which in turn improved blood circulation. [19]
3. A study reported that melanotan 1 can help protect against cardiovascular disease by increasing the levels of nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes the heart arteries to improve blood circulation. [20]
4. In rats undergoing a heart attack, Melanotan 1 administration in conjunction with epinephrine during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) helped restore baseline arterial pressure and heart rate. [21]

Fights Inflammation

Studies suggest that melanotan 1 has anti-inflammatory properties that can help ward off a broad range of diseases:

1. A study reported that melanotan 1 induces antioxidant activities, promotes DNA repair, and modulates the inflammatory process. [22]
2. In a mouse model of skin inflammation, melanotan 1 inhibited the production of inflammatory substances such as TNF-α and IL-6. [23]
3. In a mouse model of nerve pain injury, the lack of melanotan 1 was associated with increased inflammatory pain. [24-25]
4. In a rat model of bowel inflammation, melanotan 1 reversed intestinal inflammation. [26-27]
5. A study found that melanotan 1 has anti-inflammatory properties that are similar to dexamethasone. [28]
6. In mouse models of uveitis, an inflammatory disorder of the eye that can lead to pain and vision loss, systemic and local administration of Melanotan 1 were effective in suppressing uveitis with a similar magnitude to that of dexamethasone. [29]

Lowers Blood Pressure

Melanotan 1 has also been shown to protect against elevated blood pressure:

1. In hypertensive mice, melanotan 1 provided protective effects against high blood pressure without affecting other mice with normal blood pressure. [30]

Improves Cognitive Function

Animal and cell studies show that melanotan 1 can help protect against cognitive dysfunction related to brain disorders:

1. In mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the administration of a very small dose of melanotan 1 resulted in favorable effects against cognitive decline. [31]
2. In mice, once daily administration of nanomolar doses of melanotan 1 for 50 days resulted in a significant reduction of AD-related biomarkers and led to cognitive recovery by boosting neurogenesis (nerve cell formation) through the stimulation of the MC4 receptor. [32]
3. In mice, once daily administration of melanotan 1 significantly reduced all AD-related biomarkers which in turn prevented the progression of the disease. [33]
4. In rats, melanotan 1 was shown to improve astrocyte functioning, the cells that protect neurons and provide them with nutrition, by increasing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). [34]
5. In mice and human neurons, melanotan 1 exerted long-lasting neuroprotective effects. [35]

Promotes Recovery following a Stroke

In animal models, melatonan1 has been shown to produce beneficial effects following a stroke:

1. In gerbil models of stroke, the administration of melatonan1 and 2 after a stroke reduced brain damage and improved recovery of learning and memory. [36]

Promotes Fat Loss

Evidence found that melanotan 1 has fat-burning properties:

1. In mice, melanotan 1 was shown to promote fat burning through the stimulation of MC5R. [37-38]

Associated Side Effects of Melanotan 1

Melanotan 1 side effects are very uncommon. There have been some side effects associated with the use of this drug wherein the patient had one of the issues listed below at some point while being on melanotan 1. However, these side effects weren’t confirmed to be associated with the treatment and could have been a coincidence and not related to the use of melanotan 1. Despite this, it was listed as a side effect associated with melanotan 1 even though these associated side effects are very uncommon.

Side effects associated with melanotan 1 may include the following:

• Facial flushing
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Increased moles and freckles
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Tiredness
• Unwanted tanning
• Vomiting

References

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