Cosmetics & Dermatology
With the technological advancements in cell culture, the industry is moving towards cruelty-free research, wherein animals are no longer used for cosmetic development and testing. While regulatory authorities are also not in favor of animal testing in the first instance, the global cosmetic formulation is slowly shifting towards primary cells isolated from human tissues; as cardinal models for cosmetic testing.
Any new cosmetic formulation needs to be evaluated for skin toxicity and oncologic impact on cellular metabolism; for which cell-based assays play a vital role. These cell-based assays are specifically designed to solve multiple mysteries like underlying biochemical pathways, epigenetic signatures proposing anti-aging mechanisms, and cellular health. By establishing cell-based testing in your lab, you will be able to prepare yourself for the future of cruelty-free cosmetic testing. All you need is a deeper understanding of cosmetic biology and the range of primary cells, isolated from specific human tissues including skin.
At the same time, active pharmaceutical ingredients present in antiseptic creams/lotions/gels, etc. need to be tested for their quick absorbance through the skin and their efficacy in drug delivery. It should also be noted that the barrier properties of skin are a limitation to the successful outcome of any drug therapy. Thus, to elucidate the drug delivery efficacy of active ingredients various human skin equivalents are generated over two decades, mainly by using keratinocytes, skin fibroblasts, and melanocytes.
Fibroblasts being embedded in the extracellular matrix can mimic the dermis, while other cells like keratinocytes and melanocytes can be considered in preparing good working models for different skin issues like melanoma, wound healing, alopecia, and skin burns. Researchers prefer these primary cells over pre-existing cell lines because the cell lines are in culture for an extended period, losing their ability to mimic the tissue.
Whereas, the three-dimensional skin equivalents, prepared with the help of primary cells resemble the architecture of the human skin tissue, offering a much better testing platform as compared to two-dimensional cell culture. Interestingly, studies have also confirmed that while in monolayer, each primary cell is in direct contact with the compound in the product, which may induce skin irritation; which may differ substantially from the in vivo situations.
Contrary to this, 3D skin models cannot absorb cosmetic compounds very consistently through all areas, and not every cell can interact with them directly; therefore, the cellular response in 3D models is identified to be very similar to the in vivo situation.
Accordingly, Kosheeka is preparing a range of products that can be used as essential tools in the cosmetic industry; mainly in assessing the testing efficacy and toxicity of cosmetic formulations. We are hopeful that our models may play a cardinal role, not only in the cosmetic industry but also in medical research.
- Primary Human Skin Fibroblasts
- Primary Human Keratinocytes
- Primary Human Melanocytes
- Primary Human Vaginal Epithelial Cells
- Primary Human Skin Epithelial Cells
- Balb/c 3T3 Mouse Fibroblast cell line
- Adipose Tissue derived exosomes
- Skin Tissue-derived exosomes
- Complete growth medium for fibroblasts
- Complete growth medium for keratinocytes/melanocytes
Phototoxicity
The dermal phototoxicity of active ingredients in cosmeceutical products is defined as the toxic response, elicited after exposure to primary skin models with the product. Several validation studies have demonstrated how the phototoxic potential of active ingredients can be assessed using various in vitro methods.
If a particular active ingredient is absorbing more UV light or visible light, it is very important to assess, whether this extensive absorption is causing any toxic effects when intended for human use. So far, various studies have been performed using immortalized mouse fibroblast cell lines Balb/c 3T3. However, using certain primary cells like keratinocytes and melanocytes various skin models can be reconstructed at different stages of maturity. These models were found to be histologically similar to that of in vivo human epidermis. The models can be further studied for specific differentiation markers like loricrin, keratin 10, and keratin 5; along with some dermal/epidermal skin markers, such as Type IV collagen, and laminin V.
Accordingly, various other models can be prepared, such as:
- Skin irritation model
- Photoprotection model
- Skin corrosion model
