First-line protection of the human body is carried out by the outermost skin layer, the stratum corneum (SC). SC is composed of corneocytes embedded in a lipid matrix of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. Any alterations in the skin composition lead to a disturbed barrier function and/or skin disease. Model lipid membranes mimic the SC lipid matrix, and are a useful tool to understand the role of lipids in SC, but three major drawbacks limit their practical usefulness: 1) lipids organize in various ways depending on the conditions during the lipid assembly, 2) models do not capture the full complexity of the skin barrier and 3) permeabilities of these models are rarely established. To the best of our knowledge, there is no unified and validated protocol for the creation of model SC lipid membranes that would overcome these difficulties. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of various conditions on the structure and permeability of model membranes constructed from human SC lipids. Our aim is to focus on the effects of annealing, hydration, pH, salinity, calcium concentration and filaggrin breakdown products on the lipid arrangement. The results would contribute to our understanding of the processes that lead to a formation of a competent skin barrier. In addition, optimized lipid membranes could be used as a tool to understand various skin lipid-related pathologies and to probe the barrier repair therapies without the need of animal experiments.
Číslo: GAUK1156120
Období: 01.01.2020 - 31.12.2022
Poskytovatel: Univerzita Karlova - Grantová agentura UK
Hlavní řešitel: Sagrafena Irene, Ph.D. - Farmaceutická fakulta v Hradci Králové
Celkový objem financí: 682 000,00 Kč