Bioengineered Efficacy Models of Skin Disease: Advances in the Last 10 Years.

Models of skin diseases, such as psoriasis and scleroderma, must accurately recapitulate the complex microenvironment of human skin to provide an efficacious platform for investigation of skin diseases. Skin disease research has been shifting from less complex and less relevant 2D (two-dimensional) models to significantly more relevant 3D (three-dimensional) models. Three-dimensional modeling systems are better able to recapitulate the complex cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions that occur in vivo within skin.

Cell organelle-based analysis of cell chirality.

The maintenance of tight endothelial junctions requires the establishment of proper cell polarity, which includes not only the apicobasal and front-rear polarity but also the left-right (L-R) polarity. The cell possesses an intrinsic mechanism of orienting the L-R axis with respect to the other axes, following a left-hand or right-hand rule, termed cell chirality. We have previously reported that endothelial cells exhibit a clockwise or rightward bias on ring-shaped micropatterns.

A Novel Method to Eliminate Preservatives in Eye Drops.

Purpose: Multiuse eye drops must maintain sterility and typically accomplish this by added preservatives. However, preservatives often cause harmful side effects. A gauze barrier dressing ("BIOGUARD") recently cleared by the FDA has an immobilized poly diallyldimethylammonium chloride (p-DADMAC) coating and is an effective antimicrobial with minimal compound release into solution.