Case holds patent for skin equivalents
January 14, 2004 | For more information: Susan Griffith (216)-368-1004
Research by Case Western Reserve University biologists to generate human skin equivalents in cultures in the lab has resulted in a new patent issued to Case. The technology holds medical and commercial potential in the regeneration of skin for medical uses and for testing new skin care products.
Arnold Caplan, professor of biology, and Michael Sorrell, a senior research associate, developed the process of growing the human skin equivalents for the patent, "Skin Regeneration Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells."
The patent evolved from more than 20 years of research in Case's department of biology and is part of the university's goal to license technology developed in the lab and license it to companies and others that can benefit from its use.
The biologists' research consists of uniquely layering the different cells found in the reticular dermis and papillary layers of the skin. The full dermis is the underlying layer of skin that is the matrix or structural support to the outer epidermis. It contains blood vessels, nerve ending, sweat glands, hair follicles and a specialized matrix that is the bulk of the dermis. The papillary layer is found between the epidermis and the reticular dermis and sends instructions to the epidermis, among which is to repair damaged skin or ward off infections.
"The patent involves putting together a layer of papillary cells and reticular cells to try to mimic the natural localization of these cells so that we can study how these cells interact with the epithelial cells," said Caplan. Stem cells, which can grow into different parts of the body, also are used in the cultures to refabricate skin.
Human skin goes through many changes throughout life. Until about the age of two, babies have fetal skin that is delicate and fragile. Around two years old, the skin becomes adult skin that eventually reaches its "perfect peak performance" during the late 20s and early 30s, Caplan explained.
His research group also has come to understand that wrinkles are not damaging to the outer skin surface but reflect changes to the structural support system in the dermis.
Keeping that matrix system at its optimal level is what drives the multimillion dollar skin care business, but Caplan sees it as more than beautiful skin.
"Overall, we'll be healthier with higher performance skin. The object is to maximize the health status of skin," he added.
One problem the researchers encounter is that when dermal cells are taken from people between the ages of 60 to 80 years old and are refabricated in the Petri dish into a skin equivalent, the outcome results in fetal skin.
How to develop adult skin equivalents has driven research in Caplan's lab at Case in the College of Arts and Sciences and in 1995 began to forge a collaboration of basic research science with the research division of L'Oréal of Paris, one of the world's major skin care corporations. Case and L'Oréal host visiting scientists to work on joint research projects, and there is an active exchange of information in this unique Paris-Cleveland collaboration.
The patent developed from experiments from the 1990s that preceded the L'Oréal collaboration but is what attracted the scientists from Case and the skin care corporation to begin their joint research. L'Oreal also is a proponent of eliminating animal (and human) testing in its product development, according to Caplan, and would welcome the use of thousands of skin equivalents for testing purposes.
"We are trying to systematically understand the basic cell and molecular biology of adult skin as a function of age, said Caplan. "The fact that we can mimic skin that is fetal indicates how sophisticated the science is, but we are still missing key components to the puzzle that will allow us to fabricate in vitro the skin of a 20 year old."
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
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