IMPROVEMENTS IN EPIDERM, A HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED SKIN MODEL, FOR DRUG DELIVERY STUDIES.

The ability to produce skin in vitro with barrier properties equivalent to those of native epidermis remains a much sought after goal. This study by scientists in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, UMDNJ-NJMS and MatTek Corp. involves the use of a highly differentiated skin model, EpiDerm™, which has been shown to be useful in a variety of skin related studies including irritation, apoptosis, production of defensins, and other skin related phenomena. The EpiDerm System consists of normal, human-derived epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) which have been cultured to form a multilayered, highly differentiated model of the human epidermis. The EpiDerm Skin Model exhibits in vivo-like morphological and growth characteristics which are uniform and highly reproducible. EpiDerm consists of organized basal, spinous, granular, and cornified layers analogous to those found in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate improvements in the barrier function of EpiDerm as a function of changes to the culture medium used to produce it. Results: The use of ascorbic acid in the culture medium improved the ceramide profile by decreasing over-production of ceramide 2 and by increasing the more polar lipids, specifically, ceramide 7. These improvements in the ceramide profile resulted in decreases of permeation of the model drugs.

Ascorbic acid, Barrier function, Caffeine, Ceramide, Drug delivery, EpiDerm, Franz diffusion cells, Hydrocortisone, Hydrophilic, Lipid profile, Lipophilic, Lipophilicity, Methanol, Percutaneous absorption, Permeability, Propylene glycol, Tamoxifen, Transdermal, Transdermal delivery, Transdermal drug delivery

Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Caffeine, Hydrocortisone, Methanol, Propylene glycol, Tamoxifen