​With 33 years of experience, Allchemix is a specialized consultancy on both natural and synthetic ingredients for fragrances, flavours and cosmetics.
The company, created in 2020, provides Advisory Board services, M&A activities, Commercial Due Diligence and a broad range of consultancy services (Strategy, F&F Markets and Products).
Main lines: Petrochemicals, Essential Oils, Turpentine oil & Vegetable oil derivatives, Biotechnology.
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Medical : Allchemix also interacts with pioneering diagnostic technology for the early detection of certain cancers and Parkinson's disease, based on the science of human and canine odour receptors.
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From dog noses to cancer early detection tools, the science of olfaction will revolutionise the detection of major diseases, significantly improve medical therapies and most likely save millions of lives.
This highlights the fundamental role of perfume science beyond traditional concepts of well-being.
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We all know that our nose detects smells. Indeed, our 400 different types of human olfactory receptors are mainly expressed, by the millions, in the very narrow olfactory epithelium of the nose. However, many people are unaware that olfactory receptors are also expressed in vast tissues outside the nose, and are involved in a variety of biological processes, including sperm chemotaxis, muscle regeneration, bronchoconstriction and bronchodilation, inflammation, appetite regulation and energy metabolism.
The elucidation of the physiological role of these receptors reveals potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications in wounds, hair loss, asthma, obesity and cancer, among others.
Recently, a Belgian company has discovered one olfactory receptor expressed in skin cells and has found the way to modulate this receptor in order to increase natural melanin production and so increase the pigmentation of the skin. This is improving UV skin protection even before the skin is exposed to any sun. This new technology enables consumers to be naturally and better prepared for UV exposure, thus considerably reducing the incidence of UV-induced skin cancers. It also can substitute traditional self-tanning products which provide a false sense of sun protection.
The same company has found the way to reverse the skin pigmentation in a controlled way.
Another Belgian company, related to the previous one, designs the first medical diagnostic tools based on knowledge of human and canine DNA: as an example, dogs are capable of detecting certain types of cancer, Parkinson's disease and tuberculosis, and are even accurate in detecting many pathologies at an early stage sometimes years before they manifest themselves. Many human pathologies are associated with olfactory biomarkers, more easily detected by dogs thanks to their 800 different types of olfactory receptors. Current technologies enable us to screen the activity of each olfactory receptor - expressed in vitro - when exposed to pathological biomarkers. The olfactory receptor protein, associated with a specific disease, can be endlessly replicated and integrated with microelectronic components to develop diagnostic tools. When a patient exhales into these devices, they detect potential diseases, allowing for early-stage identification when treatment is most effective. This innovation has the potential to save millions of lives.
These olfactory receptor-based detection systems have a wide range of other potential applications, from medicine (cancers, epilepsy, Parkinson's, viruses, etc.) to security (detection of harmful chemicals), to industrial engines (early detection of engine fatigue), and also to agronomy with the detection of warning VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in fields.
More than ever, understanding odours and their perception plays an essential role in our society.
Excerpt from article "Essential oils and forest extracts: why they are essential to our society", Alain Frix, IFEAT World Magazine n°63, July 2024
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Cancer Detection:
Dogs have an extraordinary ability to detect specific odours linked to cancer.
The science of olfaction is now capable of synthesising the 800 types of canine olfactory receptors without even touching a dog. Certain olfactory receptors are then selected for their particular sensitivity to the VOCs produced by different types of cancer. They are then incorporated into a diagnostic kit that translates the activation of the organic receptor into an amplified electronic signal. In the presence of VOCs emanating from a cancer, the kit emits a sound or light signal indicating the disease. This makes it possible to start cancer therapy at a very early stage, even before any symptoms appear, greatly increasing the chances of a complete cure. This revolutionary detection system is expected to save many lives and reduce the considerable medical costs associated with cancer treatment. These kits are aimed to be in some ways similar to an alcohol detector : lightweight, mobile and easy to access.
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