In vitro skin model

In vitro trials are becoming increasingly important in the cosmetics industry and represent a very good alternative to the need for conventional animal testing. The dermatological testing of cosmetic products that are used frequently over long periods of time for their compatibility and tolerance is an essential prerequisite for safety and customer satisfaction.
Using histological and biochemical analysis to determine and evaluate the likely biological consequences with dependable reproducibility, it is possible to predict the impact a product may have on the skin’s regenerative biological processes.

The Phenion® 3-D skin model is particularly suitable for examinations of this kind as it simulates the natural histological progression of epidermal cell layers and dermal structures commonly found in the human epidermis. The stratum basale, the basal cell layer, lies directly on top of an animated dermal equivalent (fibroblasts) and is followed histologically by the stratum spinosum layer and the granular layer, topped by a keratinised surface layer, the stratum corneum, to complete the tissue. Disruptions in the regular epidermal keratinisation (orthokeratosis), caused by various irritants of a physical (mechanical, UVA/UVB) or a chemical (SLS) nature, can be analysed and evaluated on both a quantitative and a qualitative level.

We use in vitro studies to examine:

  • Repair mechanism and functioning of the skin barrier
  • UVA/UVB damage
  • Product tolerance
  • Further studies in progress

We assess:

  • Epidermal differentiation
  • Structures relevant to the skin barrier
  • Vitality
  • Integrity of the dermal-epidermal junction zone (DEJ)

We analyse:

  • Morphological-histological structures following a special staining process
  • Immunofluorescence staining of proteins involved in the differentiation of keratocytes
  • Quantification of interleukins (such as IL-1α, Il-6) by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
  • Further techniques under development

Contacts

Dr. rer. nat. Michael Bayer
Head of research and development
dr.bayer(at)dermatest.de

Dr. rer. nat. Claas Rüffer
Management of scientific projects
dr.rueffer@dermatest.de