Publications by authors named "Varsha S Thakoersing"

Our in-house human skin equivalents contain all stratum corneum (SC) barrier lipid classes, but have a reduced level of free fatty acids (FAs), of which a part is mono-unsaturated. These differences lead to an altered SC lipid organization and thereby a reduced barrier function compared to human skin. In this study, we aimed to improve the SC FA composition and, consequently, the SC lipid organization of the Leiden epidermal model (LEM) by specific medium supplements.

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Human skin equivalents (HSEs) mimic human skin closely, but show differences in their stratum corneum (SC) lipid properties. The aim of this study was to determine whether isolation of primary cells, which is needed to generate HSEs, influence the SC lipid properties of HSEs. For this purpose, we expanded explants of intact full thickness human skin and isolated epidermal sheets in vitro.

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Previous results showed that our in-house human skin equivalents (HSEs) differ in their stratum corneum (SC) lipid organization compared with human SC. To elucidate the cause of the altered SC lipid organization in the HSEs, a recently developed liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method was used to study the free fatty acid (FFA) and ceramide composition in detail. In addition, the SC lipid composition of the HSEs and human skin was examined quantitatively with high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

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Human skin equivalents (HSEs) are three-dimensional culture models that are used as a model for native human skin. In this study the barrier properties of two novel HSEs, the fibroblast-derived matrix model (FDM) and the Leiden epidermal model (LEM), were compared with the full-thickness collagen model (FTM) and human skin. Since the main skin barrier is located in the lipid regions of the upper layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), we investigated the epidermal morphology, expression of differentiation markers, SC permeability, lipid composition, and lipid organization of all HSEs and native human skin.

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In this study we generated human skin equivalents (HSEs) under submerged conditions mimicking the aqueous in utero environment and investigated the morphology and differentiation process of the formed epidermis. Further, the skin barrier, which resides in the stratum corneum (SC), was characterized by its lipid content, hydration level, and natural moisturizing factor level. The submerged HSEs showed comparable tissue morphology and similar expression of several differentiation markers and SC lipid composition compared with HSEs grown at the air-liquid interface and native human skin.

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