Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisabeth Hofmann, Anna Schwarz, Julia Fink, Lars-Peter Kamolz, Petra Kotzbeck
Summary: The skin acts as a protective barrier and controls the transport of water, ions, and nutrients. Animal experiments are commonly used to study skin structure and function, but anatomical and physiological differences between species can limit the translatability of data to humans. In vitro models, such as reconstructed human skin, provide valuable alternatives to animal experiments. This review highlights the progress made in establishing complex in vitro skin models.
Review
Immunology
Edries Yousaf Hajam, Patricia Panikulam, Chung-Ching Chu, Haarshadri Jayaprakash, Amitabha Majumdar, Colin Jamora
Summary: As the interface between the body and the environment, the skin not only acts as a physical barrier, but also as an immunologically active organ. Regulatory T cells (T-regs) play a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis, clearing pathogens, and promoting wound healing. Recent studies have uncovered non-lymphoid functions of cutaneous T-regs, suggesting that they have executive control over various biological activities in the skin. These findings highlight the importance of T-regs and their potential role in future discoveries in the field of regenerative medicine.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Amanda M. Walker, Adrienne Joseph, Jacob Nelson, Victoria E. Orfaly, Elizabeth Stoos, Allan Geller, Elizabeth Bailey, Stephanie Savory, Sancy Leachman, Heidi Jacobe
Summary: This study aimed to train estheticians to recognize skin cancer lesions and evaluate their baseline knowledge and improvements after training. The results showed that most estheticians performed well in identifying suspicious lesions and were more likely to recommend clients see a doctor after training.
Article
Microbiology
Vidula Iyer, Janhavi Raut, Anindya Dasgupta
Summary: The pH of the skin plays a critical role in maintaining skin health and balance of the skin microbiome. The growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis is affected by pH, with the former showing stronger pH dependence. Keeping the skin pH within an acidic range is advantageous for maintaining a healthy skin microbiome.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Annisa Rahma, Majella E. Lane, Balint Sinko
Summary: For permeation studies using excised skin, variability in experimental data due to biological tissues can make achieving reproducible results challenging. The skin PAMPA model has been proposed as a high-throughput tool for predicting skin permeation. This study assessed the suitability of the skin PAMPA model for predicting the permeation of 2-phenoxyethanol (PE) and investigated the influence of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) on PE dermal absorption.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andres Montero, Cristina Quilez, Leticia Valencia, Paula Giron, Jose Luis Jorcano, Diego Velasco
Summary: This study demonstrates that increasing fibrin concentration can significantly improve mechanical properties and matrix stability, thereby promoting the development of in vitro skin cultures. These new systems will provide better in vitro skin models for testing drugs, cosmetics, and chemicals, and can even be used for personalized skin diagnosis and determining the most effective treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
News Item
Medicine, General & Internal
Rita Rubin
Summary: This article discusses the current understanding of the impact of firearm safety laws on suicide rates.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Srikar Srivatsa, Roshan Suresh Kumar, Daniel Selva, Meredith N. Silberstein
Summary: This study demonstrates the advantages of using asymmetric lattice patterns in the design of mechanical metamaterials, as they can induce a wider range of mechanical properties.
MECHANICS OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dani Lucas-Barbosa, Carlijn Balvers, Anthony J. J. Bellantuono, John S. S. Castillo, Andre L. Costa-da-Silva, Consuelo M. M. De Moraes, Matthew DeGennaro, Niels O. O. Verhulst
Summary: Human skin bacteria are crucial for mosquito attraction through the production of volatiles. Increasing microbial biodiversity can reduce human attractiveness to female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, while co-culturing bacterial commensals affects overall attraction. Complex bacterial models emit lower levels of volatiles and are less attractive to mosquitoes compared to simple models. The relative growth of bacteria species, influenced by competition or commensalism, can impact mosquito responses.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
C. Jacques, S. Rattier, P. Bianchi, T. B. Angerer, G. Frache, L. Cattuzzato, L. Perrin, A. Villaret, V Duran, J. Noharet, A. Rouquier, S. Bessou-Touya, C. Bidan, H. Duplan
Summary: This study developed two formulations that resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum and can penetrate the skin without disrupting the lipid lamella organization. These formulations increased skin hydration in clinical subjects and could potentially alleviate sensitive skin.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Shi Hua Tan, Dun An Cliff Chua, Je Re Jeremiah Tang, Carine Bonnard, David Leavesley, Kun Liang
Summary: In vitro 3D human skin models are critical tools in advancing our understanding of skin physiology and function. Many of the existing reconstructed models are limited in terms of structure and complexity, thus failing to recapitulate native human skin. Hydrogels have been identified as useful scaffold materials for fabricating the dermal equivalent of 3D skin models, allowing for greater flexibility and control in scaffold properties and cellular incorporation. This review aims to provide a critical discussion of the biomaterial selection and design strategies in the construction of hydrogel-based full-thickness skin equivalents. At the same time, insights into future developments and technological advances which can accelerate progress in this field are offered.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Geography
Yutian Liang, Shangqian Li, Jiaqi Zeng, Tianbang Wu
Summary: This study analyzes the driving mechanism of multidimensional accessibility factors on the spatial differentiation of poverty and explores the impact of different accessibility interactions on poverty patterns. The main driving factors are economic accessibility, market accessibility, and traffic accessibility. The study is of great significance for poverty reduction in Laos and can be a good case for high-quality development in Southeast Asia.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kyohei Furukawa, Masaya Kono, Tetsuro Kataoka, Yukio Hasebe, Huijuan Jia, Hisanori Kato
Summary: The study found that nutritional supplementation of eggshell membrane (ESM) can have a beneficial effect on maintaining skin health and improving the skin aging process, possibly through upregulating calcium signaling.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katarzyna Michalak-Micka, Dominic Rutsche, Luca Mazzone, Vanessa L. Buchler, Ueli Moehrlen, Agnes S. Klar, Thomas Biedermann
Summary: This study provides an in-depth analysis of Merkel cells in human fetal skin. It confirms the phenotypical features of these cells and demonstrates their persistence after isolation, in culture, and in skin substitutes. The findings are important for the future application of fetal tissue-engineered skin in clinical settings.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Daniel Maroto-Morales, Trinidad Montero-Vilchez, Salvador Arias-Santiago
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Vaseline jelly and a water-based formula on epidermal barrier function in psoriatic patients. The results showed that the use of emollients can improve epidermal barrier function in psoriatic patients, with TEWL decreased by using Vaseline and SCH increased by using the water-based formula.