TR Pro+®

A hydrogel that helps damaged skin by creating an environment that supports the healing process. TR Pro ® hydrates skin internally whilst providing a barrier to reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). TR Pro ® is able to cool and soothe skin and is effective in reducing the irritation and redness that often follows aesthetic and other minor surgical procedures.

Key Ingredients

Beta-glucan (Glucoprime®) – a naturally derived sugar that is purified from the cell wall of baker’s yeast which has immunomodulatory properties that support skin regeneration

Triethanolamine – balances the pH of the gel to avoid irritation to your skin

Carbomer – allows the gel to retain water to provide you with a soothing texture and leave your skin looking bright

Neutral pH, no parabens or fragrances means TR Pro ® is suitable for most skin types

What is Glucoprime®

The active ingredient of TR Pro ® is Glucoprime® which is a beta-glucan purified from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ie: baker’s yeast) which is used to bake bread and brew beer. Beta-glucans are commonly found in fungi, plants and bacteria where they are a key component of the cell wall. Beta-glucans are almost totally made of sugar, with glucose being the sugar most commonly used.

There is enormous diversity in the way the millions of glucose units are linked together and their spatial location relative to adjacent molecules (Vetvicka et al. 2019). Up until recently, the extraction of beta-glucan has been difficult and expensive due to the challenges associated with retaining the complex branched structure of the molecule.

Preserving the native structure of the beta-glucan is essential because it determines its ability to interact with host cells, and studies have confirmed that beta-glucans which have maintained the natural branched structure are more effective in assisting damaged skin to heal (Kim et al. 2018). Historically however, this has been difficult to achieve with most beta-glucans breaking down during the purification process and therefore having less impact on skin repair. Tissue Repair has successfully developed a proprietary process that leaves the native structure more intact, thereby allowing Glucoprime® to exert a positive healing influence on damaged skin.

Glucoprime® supports skin regeneration

When TR Pro ® is applied topically, the Glucoprime® moves between the cells of the epidermis to the dermis where it comes into contact with macrophages. These macrophages are the ‘guard cells’ and are on alert for foreign pathogens like bacteria and yeast. The macrophages have specific receptors on their surface which recognise the yeast-derived Glucoprime® and these engage with the Glucoprime® in the same way as a lock and key fit together. As a key is able to open the lock, the Glucoprime® is able to activate the macrophages by engaging with the receptors.

Once activated, the macrophages begin to influence the tissue environment, initially by attracting more macrophages and neutrophils to the area. They also facilitate the production of cytokines and growth factors that create an inflammatory environment which is the first step in the healing process. While inflammation is necessary for healing, it must not be too severe nor progress for too long as the quality of the new skin will be compromised. Beta-glucans like Glucoprime® have been referred to as immunomodulators in the scientific literature because of their ability to manage the healing process, and in particular, ensure that the inflammatory phase is appropriate for optimal skin healing.

Not all beta-glucans benefit skin repair to the same extent

Research has shown that large beta-glucans like Glucoprime® in TR Pro ® are able to attach to macrophage receptors and activate those cells to upregulate cytokines, growth factors and collagen production. Over many years Tissue Repair has developed a proprietary process to purify Glucoprime® from baker’s yeast without significantly compromising the size. Although smaller beta-glucans can also engage with the receptors, they do not activate macrophages and therefore cannot produce the same regenerative benefits (Goodridge et al. 2011).

If topical products that contain beta-glucans are being used for skin repair, users should be informed about the origin of the beta-glucan and the size so they can be confident about the products effectiveness.

TR Pro ® stimulates macrophages to manage the healing process

Healing is a complex process that involves many different cellular components being switched on and off at the appropriate time and in the correct concentrations. Macrophages are the cells that coordinate the healing process which occurs in four phases – haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remode