Experimental cell therapy improves skin resilience, advancing treatments for skin injuries
In a phase 1 clinical trial, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have partially transformed ordinary human skin cells into volar skin—the durable skin found exclusively on the palms and soles that resists friction and pressure.
In a phase 1 clinical trial, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully transformed ordinary human skin cells into volar skin, which is known for its durability and resistance to friction and pressure. This breakthrough, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could revolutionize skin cell therapy and its use in treating skin injuries.
The study, led by Dr. Sam S. Lee and his team, involved ten healthy adult volunteers who provided scalp (non-volar) and sole (volar) fibroblasts, which were then cultivated and expanded in a lab. These cells were used to create skin cell therapy injections, which were administered to the participants along with control and scalp fibroblast injections at separate treatment sites.
The researchers found that skin treated with volar fibroblasts developed volar-like characteristics, such as increased skin thickness and elasticity, and that the addition of collagen-PMMA filler did not prevent these changes from occurring. However, the study also revealed an unexpected immune response, with fibroblasts, blood vessel cells, and immune cells gathering at every treatment site.
Despite this, the findings demonstrate the potential of combining skin cell therapy with dermal fillers to improve skin resilience and advance treatments for skin injuries.
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