Daily Cosmetic Research Analysis

Hypertrophic scarring (HS) represents a proliferative disorder that emerges due to aberrant wound healing processes and is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components. Recent research has highlighted the pivotal role of exosomes-nanoscale extracellular vesicles-as crucial mediators of intercellular communication in both tissue repair and pathological states. This study investigates the mechanism by which TGF-β1 modulates the cargo of keratinocyte-derived exosomes to promote the transfer of the long non-coding RNA linc01605. The results reveal that exosomes secreted by TGF-β1-stimulated keratinocytes exhibit heightened profibrotic activity. Upon internalization by human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), these exosomes markedly enhance cellular proliferation, migration, and collagen I (COL1A1) expression. linc01605, encapsulated within these exosomes, has been identified as the primary molecular mediator. Mechanistically, linc01605 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA that binds miR-370-3p, thereby alleviating the repression of TGFBR2 expression and amplifying the canonical TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. In summary, this work elucidates a novel pathogenic pathway in which TGF-β1-induced keratinocyte-derived exosomes mediate the delivery of HS-associated linc01605 to drive fibrosis. These findings not only clarify a fundamental mechanism underlying HS pathogenesis but also reveal potential therapeutic targets for the development of innovative anti-fibrotic strategies.

Phytoceramides are essential sphingolipids that support skin barrier integrity and hydration, making them valuable for cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. However, their intricate structures and low natural abundance pose significant challenges for scalable production. Here, we present an integrated metabolic engineering and lipidomics study aimed at enhancing phytoceramide production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We implemented three strategies: (i) overexpression of SUR2 (sphinganine C4-hydroxylase) to boost phytosphingolipid formation; (ii) deletion of SCS7 (ceramide α-hydroxylase) to redirect flux toward non-hydroxylated phytoceramides; and (iii) overexpression of ISC1 (inositol phosphosphingolipid phospholipase) to recycle complex sphingolipids into ceramide pools. SUR2 overexpression showed the highest transcript levels, whereas lipidomics revealed that scs7Δ produced the highest phytoceramide enrichment with a 15-fold increase in phytoceramide abundance relative to the wild type. In terms of relative abundance within the quantified ceramide pool, phytoceramides increased from 5% in wild type to 46% in the SUR2-OE strain and 75% in the scs7Δ strain. The combined scs7Δ SUR2-OE strain did not exhibit additive metabolic effects on the lipid profile. The presence of residual hydroxylated ceramides indicated intrinsic regulatory constraints, aligning with the bypass mechanism proposed here whereby ceramide synthases can use pre-hydroxylated acyl-CoA. Importantly, this work contributes a comprehensive lipidomic profiling of S. cerevisiae, enabling clear discrimination between engineered and wild type strains and identification of genotypes exerting the greatest impact on phytoceramide accumulation. This approach advances sphingolipid pathway modulation and positions S. cerevisiae as a valuable model for studying phytoceramide-focused remodeling.

PURPOSE: To evaluate anatomical, visual and cosmetic rehabilitation outcomes of symblepharon release with fornix reconstruction (SR-FR) in eyes with chronic chemical injury and identify factors influencing surgical success. METHODS: Retrospective observational study of patients undergoing SR-FR for chemical injury-related symblepharon over 10 years at a tertiary eye care centre. Symblepharon severity, surgical techniques, epithelial healing and demographics were recorded. Anatomical (success, partial success and failure), visual rehabilitation and cosmetic rehabilitation outcomes were analysed. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression identified factors associated with anatomical outcome. RESULTS: The study involved 125 fornices in 118 patients. Median age at injury was 7 years (IQR 4-19) and at SR-FR 12 years (IQR 5-24), with a median follow-up of 15 months (IQR 8-36). Successful anatomical outcome was achieved in 61.6% after the first procedure, increasing to 84.8% after final reconstruction. Severe symblepharon was associated with lower success rates and greater need for repeat attempts (p=0.027). On multivariate analysis, symblepharon grade was an independent predictor of anatomical outcome (p=0.005), while epithelial healing was associated with improved outcome (p=0.046); delayed epithelial healing was independently associated with poorer outcome (p=0.011); age, gender, chemical type, mitomycin-C use and fornix-forming sutures were not significant. Visual improvement was independent of anatomical success and primarily limited by ocular comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: SR-FR is an effective approach for anatomical restoration. Symblepharon severity is an independent predictor of outcome, while delayed epithelialisation is a clinically relevant early postoperative indicator of poorer outcomes. Visual recovery is largely determined by associated ocular comorbidities.