Write your abstract here.Scientists find way to balance skin
color and
tone.
In the timeless quest
for healthier, younger looking skin, scientists from the University of
Cincinnati and Tokyo Medical University have made an important
discovery toward manipulating skin tone and color. The implications of
this research range from helping doctors develop more natural looking
bioengineered skin
grafts to helping cosmetics companies develop new
products for achieving the “perfect” sunless tan.
The research study,
published in the September print issue of The FASEB Journal, shows for
the first time how to manipulate skin color and tone using cells
previously thought to play no significant role in this function.
“Most
immediately, this study should lead to bioengineered skin grafts that
more closely resemble the natural tone and color of recipients, which
may help reduce the appearance of scarring,” said Gerald Weissmann, MD,
Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “Down the road, however, this
study opens doors to new types of cosmetics based on our understanding
of how and why ‘skin deep’ differences in appearance evolved over
millions of years.”
In the article,
researchers describe how cells responsible for pigmentation, called
melanocytes, can be controlled by the most commonly occurring skin
cells, called
keratinocytes, which produce no
pigment of their own.
Working with bioengineered skin, which is used for some types of skin
grafts, the researchers juggled various mixtures keratinocytes from
people with different types of skin colors. In turn, the keratinocytes
produced chemical signals to “tell” melanocytes to produce more or less
pigment, called melanin, as well as how to distribute that pigment. The
researchers found that using keratinocytes from light-skinned
individuals had a lightening effect on the bioengineered skin graft
material, while keratinocytes from dark-skinned individuals had a
darkening effect. This is a significant finding as it shows a
conclusive link between keratinocytes and melanocytes and because
keratinocytes are much easier to manipulate than melanocytes.
Medical conditions
that sometimes require the use of bioengineered skin grafts include
severe burns, scleroderma, epidermis bullosa, diabetes, and venous leg
ulcers. In addition, the study’s senior researcher, Raymond Boissy,
says this study also could “help the quality of life for people with
pigment diseases such as vitiligo, melasma and age spotting by making
their skin more healthy looking.”
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