Gattefossé, the cosmetic ingredients developer, and CTIBiotech have joined forces on a model that allows for the fast and non-invasive measurement of sebum production.
The companies’ bioimpedance 3D bioprinted skin chips are anticipated to improve the predictivity of in vitro tests of sebum-regulating ingredients.
Bioimpedance, also known as bioelectrical impedance analysis, is typically used to monitor personal health.
Using connected scales, Gattefossé and CTIBiotech deployed bioimpedance to evaluate changes in the local environment of a 3D skin model integrating sebocytes.
Measurement of such non-invasive electrical activity is said to allow the companies to follow sebum production in real time, as well as laboratory readouts dealing with cellular, matrix and tissue development.
“Bioimpedance has long been used in our bathroom scales and by dieticians to understand general body composition,” explained Professor Colin McGuckin, President and Chief Scientific Officer of CTIBiotech.
“Application of this to skin is a natural advance on this, but the real innovation comes from developing real time analysis for oil changes.
“We advanced our 3D printed full thickness skin models with an integrated bioimpedance chip connected to monitor changes. Linking cosmetics screening in this way advances faster towards human tests and increases our ability to make more effective products.”
“Full thickness skin models containing sebocytes have reproducible oil production which is increased by linoleic acid and reduced by TOFA, and remarkably this is characterised by significant changes in bioimpedance in both printed tissues and culture supernatants surrounding them,” said Dr Nicolas Bechetoille, Research Manager Skin Biology, Head of Biology Lab at Gattefossé.
“Bioimpedance, linked to the sebum production, thus proves to be an in vitro non-invasive proper parameter and measurable in real time, to design ever more predictive and effective testing, since 3D models described here and linked with a simple chip system accurately mirror changes within skin models as on live donors.”
