The artificial epidermis (epidermis model) created using human epidermis cells is important for basic research such as elucidation of the mechanism of the epidermis and for the development of external skin preparations, cosmetics, etc. The problems were that only a thin epidermis was constructed using epidermal cells that had undergone cell division, and that the barrier function was incomplete.

　This research group has established a mathematical model that reflects the mechanism for maintaining epidermal homeostasis in the strategic creative research promotion project CREST of the Japan Science and Technology Agency.When various computer simulations were performed using this mathematical model, the structure and thickness of the epidermis were greatly affected by the structure of the basement membrane, and the epidermis became thicker when the basement membrane had a wave-like structure. all right.Since the bottom of the current epidermis model is almost straight, the group thought that if the bottom of the epidermis model was uneven, it would be possible to build a thick epidermis model with a high barrier function.

　Therefore, when epidermal cells were cultured by laying various patterns of polyester cloth on the bottom of the incubator, in the case of the pattern predicted by computer simulation, even epidermal cells with repeated cell division have the same thickness and barrier function as human epidermis. We were able to construct a highly functional 3D epidermis with.

　This three-dimensional epidermis model is useful for researching various skin diseases, and has the potential to be applied to the evaluation of the effects of external skin preparations and cosmetics, or to regenerative medicine.Furthermore, it can be said that this result suggests that mathematical modeling is an effective methodology in the fields of medicine and life science.

Paper information:[Scientific Reports] Mathematical-model-guided development of full-thickness epidermal equivalent