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Investigation into the effect of skin tone modulators and exogenous stress on skin pigmentation utilizing a novel bioengineered skin equivalent

Goncalves, Kirsty; De Los Santos Gomez, Paola; Costello, Lydia; Smith, Lucy; Mead, Hugh; Simpson, Amy; Przyborski, Stefan

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Authors

Paola De Los Santos Gomez

Lydia Costello

Dr Lucy Smith l.a.smith2@durham.ac.uk
Post Doctoral Research Associate

Hugh Mead

Amy Simpson amy.m.simpson@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy



Abstract

Human skin equivalents (HSEs) are a popular technology due to limitations in animal testing, particularly as they recapitulate aspects of structure and function of human skin. Many HSEs contain two basic cell types to model dermal and epidermal compartments, however this limits their application, particularly when investigating the effect of exogenous stressors on skin health. We describe the development of a novel platform technology that accurately replicates skin pigmentation in vitro. Through incorporation of melanocytes, specialized pigment producing cells, into the basal layer of the epidermis we are able to re-create skin pigmentation in vitro. We observe apical distribution of melanin within keratinocytes and formation of supranuclear caps (SPNCs), only when the epidermal compartment is co-cultured with a dermal compartment, leading to the conclusion that fibroblast support is essential for correct pigment organization. We also evaluate the commonly observed phenomenon that pigmentation darkens with time in vitro, which we further explore through mechanical exfoliation to remove a build-up of melanin deposits in the stratum corneum. Finally, we demonstrate the application of a pigmented HSE to investigate drug modulation of skin tone and protection from UV-induced damage, highlighting the importance of such a model in the wider context of skin biology.

Citation

Goncalves, K., De Los Santos Gomez, P., Costello, L., Smith, L., Mead, H., Simpson, A., & Przyborski, S. (2023). Investigation into the effect of skin tone modulators and exogenous stress on skin pigmentation utilizing a novel bioengineered skin equivalent. Bioengineering and Translational Medicine, 8(2), Article e10415. https://doi.org/10.1002/btm2.10415

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 30, 2022
Online Publication Date Sep 26, 2022
Publication Date 2023-03
Deposit Date Sep 28, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Bioengineering & Translational Medicine
Electronic ISSN 2380-6761
Publisher Wiley Open Access
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 8
Issue 2
Article Number e10415
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/btm2.10415
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1193087

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Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Authors. Bioengineering & Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.





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