Introduction

The study focuses on understanding how different types of damage affect the barrier function of human skin. This is crucial because the skin barrier protects against external agents, and its disruption can lead to infections and dermatological diseases.

Methods

The research was conducted at PKDERM, a leading French biotech company specialized in in vitro testing of the efficacy and safety of cosmetic and dermatological products, as well as in barrier function assessment. The researchers used ex vivo models of human skin. They induced damage using various chemical and mechanical treatments to simulate real-life conditions like detergent exposure, sunburn, and excessive scratching.

Endpoints

1. Barrier Integrity: Assessed using Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and Transepithelial Electrical Resistance (TEER)
2. Dermal Absorption: How well the skin absorbed different substances.
3. Stratum Corneum Thickness: The thickness of the outermost layer of the skin.
4. Gene Expression: Analysis of genes related to skin barrier function.
5. Inflammatory Markers: Various markers were measured to understand the inflammatory response to different types of skin damage.

Conclusion

Different treatments resulted in varying degrees of skin damage, providing a comprehensive view of how different factors affect the skin barrier. The ex vivo models are valuable for testing the effectiveness of topical products aimed at repairing damaged skin. They also help in studying how a compromised skin barrier can affect the penetration of viruses and other harmful agents.

Funding and Collaboration

This research is part of the PhD thesis project of Manon Barthe and was conducted in collaboration between PKDERM and the IPMC CNRS – University Nice Sophia under the direction of Dr Veronique Braud and Dr Hanan Osman-Ponchet, PhD, EMBA. The project was funded by a CIFRE grant from ANRT – Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie and by the ANR, the French National Research Agency.

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