Todo H, Hirota M, Kage M
… +7 more, Takagi Y, Narita I, Inoue S, Tabata Y, Yokoyama K, Itakura S, Komatsu S
Skin Res Technol
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41021836
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BACKGROUND: Skincare using facial humidifiers is gaining attention and has become more popular in Japan as a beauty treatment. A novel type of face humidifier capable of generating ultrafine water droplets has been devel...BACKGROUND: Skincare using facial humidifiers is gaining attention and has become more popular in Japan as a beauty treatment. A novel type of face humidifier capable of generating ultrafine water droplets has been developed recently. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The change in distribution of sprayed ultrafine water droplets in the stratum corneum of excised human skin over the application period was investigated using confocal Raman microscopy. In addition, changes in trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) value were evaluated after treatment with ultrafine water droplets using a three-dimensional cultured human skin model (3D skin model). Furthermore, the effect of gene expression related to ceramide production in the skin and ceramide production were also evaluated using a 3D skin model by real-time PCR and high-performance thin-layer chromatography, respectively. RESULTS: A higher water content at the surface of the skin was confirmed over 45 min after the application. Furthermore, the TEWL value after the application of ultrafine water droplets was sharply decreased. Increased gene expression related to ceramide production was confirmed compared with the application of purified water, and increased levels of ceramide NS were observed. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the application of ultrafine water droplets on the skin surface may be useful to maintain a physiologically good skin barrier condition.
Gellrich FF, Rakhmetova S, Günther C
… +2 more, Beissert S, Hobelsberger S
Skin Res Technol
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40990140
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BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a common autoimmune blistering dermatosis often difficult to distinguish from other inflammatory conditions. Timely diagnosis is crucial for appropriate management. Line-field confo...BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a common autoimmune blistering dermatosis often difficult to distinguish from other inflammatory conditions. Timely diagnosis is crucial for appropriate management. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT), a noninvasive imaging technique that uses an 800nm laser to generate high-resolution vertical and horizontal cross-sectional images of the skin, is evaluated as a diagnostic tool for BP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, single-center study was conducted on 26 patients with suspected BP. LC-OCT imaging, histopathology, and direct immunofluorescence (DIF) were performed. LC-OCT images were assessed for the presence of key diagnostic features, including subepidermal cleavage and eczema criteria. RESULTS: Based on histopathology, DIF, indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), and ELISA, the final diagnoses were 15 BP cases and 11 non-BP cases. LC-OCT correctly identified 12 of 15 BP cases and all 11 non-BP cases, demonstrating a sensitivity of 0.8 and a specificity of 1.0. The presence of subepidermal cleavage was a key diagnostic criterion for BP (p = 0.000). The absence of alternating hypo- and hyper-reflective layers (p = 0.000), thickened and disrupted stratum corneum (p = 0.014), spongiosis (p = 0.036), and thickened epidermis (p = 0.043), which occurred significantly less frequently in BP cases, further supported the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: LC-OCT demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing BP, offering a rapid, point-of-care diagnostic approach. LC-OCT can be used to evaluate unclear inflammatory skin conditions and guide further investigations. However, LC-OCT has limitations in diagnosing non-bullous stages of BP; thus, histology and DIF remain the gold standard for definitive diagnosis.
Chang H, Tao K, Huang H
… +3 more, Jia J, Khan SN, Cui J
Skin Res Technol
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40939092
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BACKGROUND: Melanin synthesis plays a crucial role in skin pigmentation, and inhibiting tyrosinase, the key enzyme in melanin production, is a primary strategy for developing skin-lightening agents. This study investigat...BACKGROUND: Melanin synthesis plays a crucial role in skin pigmentation, and inhibiting tyrosinase, the key enzyme in melanin production, is a primary strategy for developing skin-lightening agents. This study investigates the tyrosinase inhibitory potential of CHP-9, a novel cyclopeptide, and evaluates its cytotoxicity and efficacy as a cosmetic depigmenting agent. METHODS: CHP-9 was synthesized via a solid-phase peptide synthesis strategy. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity was assessed using an enzymatic assay, while its effects on melanin content were evaluated in cultured human melanocytes. The MTT assay was performed to assess cytotoxicity across a range of CHP-9 concentrations (0.0781-10 mg/mL). Molecular docking simulations were conducted to elucidate the interaction between CHP-9 and human tyrosinase (PDB ID: 5M8M). Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism Software, and significance was determined via one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: CHP-9 exhibited significant tyrosinase inhibition (28.57% at 1% concentration) and reduced melanin content in treated melanocytes from 30.90 ± 1.13 to 23.51 ± 1.14 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed CHP-9's high biocompatibility, with cell viability exceeding 90% at concentrations up to 2.5 mg/mL. Docking studies revealed strong binding affinity between CHP-9 and key tyrosinase residues via hydrogen bonding, supporting its inhibitory mechanism. CONCLUSIONS: CHP-9 exhibited significant tyrosinase inhibition (28.57% at 1% concentration) and reduced melanin content in melanocytes, while maintaining over 90% cell viability at effective doses. These findings suggest that CHP-9 is a safe and effective candidate for cosmetic skin-lightening applications. Further research is needed to enhance formulation stability and evaluate long-term efficacy in vivo.
Jeon H, Park N, Won JG
… +7 more, Shin YW, Choi J, Min K, Choi E, Kim CK, Park SW, Son NS
Skin Res Technol
· 2025 Sep · PMID 40936315
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PURPOSE: This study investigated the enhanced skin permeation and pigmentation reduction effects of an ion-pair complex formed between tranexamic acid (TXA) and mandelic acid (MA). The TXA-MA complex demonstrated superio...PURPOSE: This study investigated the enhanced skin permeation and pigmentation reduction effects of an ion-pair complex formed between tranexamic acid (TXA) and mandelic acid (MA). The TXA-MA complex demonstrated superior skin permeability and greater inhibition of cytokine expression compared to TXA alone, ultimately proving more effective in reducing skin pigmentation. METHODS: After spectroscopic analysis of the TXA-MA ion-pairing complex (TXA-MA complex) structure, an in vitro skin permeation study was conducted using a Franz cell system with porcine skin. Additionally, the effect of the TXA-MA complex on UVB (ultraviolet B)-induced expression changes of inflammation-related genes (IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, COX2) was evaluated using a human epidermal keratinocyte cell lines (HaCaT) cell model. Finally, an in vivo human study was performed to analyze the efficacy of TXA-MA in reducing actual skin pigmentation. RESULTS: The formation of the TXA-MA complex was confirmed through zeta-potential measurements, H NMR study, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Skin permeation studies using porcine skin showed enhanced permeability of the TXA-MA complex compared to TXA at equivalent concentrations. In the HaCaT cell model, the TXA-MA complex exhibited greater inhibition of inflammatory markers IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, and COX-2 expression than TXA alone. Finally, a 4-week human clinical study using ANTERA 3D imaging demonstrated that the TXA-MA complex was significantly more effective than TXA alone in reducing skin pigmentation. CONCLUSION: This study successfully formed a TXA-MA complex. Compared to TXA, the TXA-MA complex showed superior effects in skin permeability, inhibition of inflammatory marker expression, and actual skin pigmentation reduction. These results suggest that the TXA-MA complex holds greater potential as an effective cosmetic ingredient for pigmentation improvement than TXA alone.
Skin Res Technol
· 2025 Aug · PMID 40790900
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INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with not fully understood pathogenic mechanisms. The lesions in CLE are mainly located on the facial skin, that is why search...INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with not fully understood pathogenic mechanisms. The lesions in CLE are mainly located on the facial skin, that is why searching for noninvasive methods to facilitate differential diagnosis is justified. High-frequency ultrasonography (HFUS) is a noninvasive diagnostic tool, enabling the assessment of all skin layers without leaving a scar, in contrast to skin biopsy, which is the gold diagnostic standard in this disease. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of HFUS in the diagnostic process of patients with CLE, taking into account individual types of the disease, its severity and activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the purpose of analyzing the HFUS results, the studied lupus erythematosus (LE) group was divided into three subgroups: acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (ACLE), subcutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), and chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE). Fifty-seven active lesions and nine inactive lesions were examined. The analysis was performed using a 20 MHz Dermascan C linear head (version 3) (Cortex Technology; Hadsund, Denmark). In the analysis of the HFUS image, skin thickness, echogenicity of the skin, and the presence and thickness of subepidermal low echogenic band (SLEB) were taken into consideration. The image was compared with the healthy skin of the contralateral area and, if this was not possible, with the skin in the area of the lesion. RESULTS: HFUS images of 17 patients with active CLE (29.8%) showed the presence of SLEB and a statistically significant relationship between SLEB thickness and disease activity expressed by Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI-A) (p = 0.022). The average skin thickness of active foci was significantly greater than the average thickness of healthy skin (p = 0.001). Additionally, in the group of patients with CCLE, 55.6% showed increased skin echogenicity, showing its statistically significant inverse correlation with CLASI-A (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: SLEB can be treated as an indicator of the activity of the disease process. HFUS allows the assessment of certain features of healthy and diseased skin without performing a biopsy, but it cannot replace histological examination in the case of CLE diagnosis.