Developing novel inhibitors of malodour precursor transport in the human axilla.

除臭剂和止汗剂是每天使用的最重要的个人护理产品之一。随着消费者对个人护理产品的要求越来越高，医疗保健公司也在不断努力改善其产品的最终用户体验。联合利华是市场的领导者，市场份额达到了40%，这主要得益于它的三个主要品牌，舒乐娜（Sure）、阿克斯（Axe）和多芬（Dove）。目前的产品技术主要基于含铝止汗盐（也可作为抗菌剂）、抗菌溶剂（乙醇、乙二醇）和香精。需要更有针对性的干预措施，例如在分子水平上直接干扰臭味的形成。体臭（BO）的产生发生在腋下皮肤上的无害细菌群落的正常生长过程中，这些细菌群落通常被称为皮肤共生体或皮肤微生物群。这些细菌通过吸收从我们皮肤的汗腺、皮脂腺和大汗腺分泌的分子来获取营养。其中一种分子是硫共轭肽，它由大汗腺分泌，并被一个运输系统识别，该系统旨在将肽转移到细菌细胞中。一旦进入细胞，分子的硫部分就会从肽中分离出来，通过主动运输或简单扩散的方式从细菌中逸出。一旦在皮肤上，这种挥发性化合物就会从体内蒸发，并以体味的形式进入周围的空气。抑制负责吸收硫醇基恶臭关键前体的细菌转运体是一种具有巨大潜力的全新方法。出于安全考虑，一种新的气味控制技术的市场潜力，至少在一开始是在非气雾剂领域，这一领域约占联合利华业务的10%。因此，这一合作LINK奖项的目的是专注于开发一套靶向抑制剂，以对抗负责吸收无味硫偶联肽的运输系统，从而消除腋下BO的主要原因之一。商业化的肽转运蛋白抑制剂可能为新技术制造商每年创造约20万欧元的业务。此外，考虑到这项技术的激进性质，它的推出将有望带来显著的市场增长。这可能意味着联合利华的非气雾剂业务在前三年每年增长约10%，相当于约3亿欧元的现金营业额。因此，这显然有可能使英国经济受益，并为这家化学品供应商和联合利华创造新的就业机会。联合利华在利兹附近的Seacroft拥有一个全球开发和制造基地。

Deodorants and antiperspirants are among the most important personal care products used every day. As consumers are demanding more from their personal care products, healthcare companies are constantly trying to improve the end-user experience of their products. Unilever, is the market leader with >40% market share, driven by sales of its 3 main brands, Rexona (Sure), Axe (Lynx) and Dove. Current product technology is based mainly on aluminium-containing antiperspirant salts (which also act as antimicrobials), antimicrobial solvents (ethanol, glycols) and fragrance. There is a demand for more targeted interventions, such as interfering directly with the formation of malodour at the molecular level. The production of body odour (BO) occurs during the normal growth of harmless bacterial communities that live on underarm skin, often called skin commensals or the skin microbiota. These bacteria acquire nutrients through the uptake of molecules secreted from the eccrine, sebaceous and apocrine glands in our skin. One of these molecules is a sulphur-conjugated peptide, which is secreted from the apocrine gland and recognised by a transport system designed to move peptides into the bacterial cell. Once inside the cell, the sulphur part of the molecule is split from the peptide and escapes from the bacteria, either through active transport or simple diffusion. Once on the skin, this volatile compound evaporates from the body and enters the air surrounding the individual as body odour. Inhibiting the bacterial transporter responsible for the uptake of the key precursor to thiol-based malodour represents a completely novel approach that holds great potential. For safety reasons, the market potential for a new odour-control technology lies, at least initially, in the non-aerosol segment, which represents about 10% of Unilever's business. The aim of this collaborative LINK award is therefore focused on developing a set of targeted inhibitors against the transport system responsible for the uptake of the odourless sulphur-conjugated peptide, thus eliminating one of the main causes of BO in the underarm. A commercialised peptide transporter inhibitor could potentially create a ~Euro200K per annum business for the new technology manufacturer. Furthermore, given the radical nature of the technology, its launch would be expected to result in significant market growth. This might mean growth of ~10% pa in the first 3 years for Unilever's non-aerosol business, equivalent to ~Euro300 million in cash turnover. There is thus clear potential to benefit the UK economy and to create new jobs for both the chemical supplier and Unilever, which has a global development and manufacturing site in Seacroft near Leeds.