PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

A new model to explore the epidermal renewal

A UNIGE study has uncovered an unexpected mechanism used by the protein interleukin-38 to form condensates, major drivers of skin renewal

A new model to explore the epidermal renewal
2024-11-18
(Press-News.org) The mechanisms underlying skin renewal are still poorly understood. Interleukin-38 (IL-38), a protein involved in regulating inflammatory responses, could be a game changer. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has observed it for the first time in the form of condensates in keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis. The presence of IL-38 in these aggregates is enhanced close to the skin’s surface exposed to atmospheric oxygen. This process could be linked to the initiation of programmed keratinocyte death, a natural process in the epidermis. This study, published in the journal Cell Reports, could bring new perspectives for the study of human epidermis and the illnesses that affect it. 


The epidermis, the top layer of the skin, protects the body from external aggression. Renewal of the epidermis relies on stem cells located in its lowest layer, which constantly produce new keratinocytes. These new cells are then pushed to the surface, differentiating along the way and accumulating protein condensates. Once they reach the top of the epidermis, they undergo a programmed death, cornification, to create a protective barrier of dead cells.


“The way in which the epidermis constantly renews itself is well documented. However, the mechanisms that drive this process are still not fully understood,” explains Gaby Palmer-Lourenço, associate professor at the Faculty of medicine of UNIGE and principal investigator of the study.


An unexpected role

Interleukin 38 is a small messenger protein that ensures communication between cells. It is known for its role in regulating inflammatory responses and its presence in keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis, was previously associated with the preservation of the skin’s immune balance. “In keratinocytes in vivo, we found that IL-38 forms condensates, specialized protein aggregates with specific biochemical functions, a behavior that was not known for this protein,” recounts Gaby Palmer-Lourenço. Even more curious, the closer the keratinocytes were to the surface of the skin, the greater the amount of IL-38 within these condensates.


A reaction to oxidative stress

Blood vessels stop in the skin layer located below the epidermis. Therefore, the quantity of oxygen available for the keratinocytes is lower in the basal layers of the epidermis compared to the top layers that are directly exposed to the air that surrounds us. However, even though it is necessary to maintain cell functions, oxygen also causes oxidative stress by forming free radicals, reactive molecules that endanger the cell. “We were able to show that oxidative stress does indeed cause IL-38 condensation under laboratory conditions,” confirms Alejandro Díaz-Barreiro, postdoctoral fellow at the UNIGE Faculty of medicine, and first author of the study.


“Our results lead us to believe that, as we move closer to the epidermal surface, the increasing oxygen concentration promotes the formation of protein condensates, indicating to keratinocytes that they are in the right place to enter cell death,” furthers Gaby Palmer-Lourenço. This hypothesis provides new leads to decipher the mechanisms of epidermal renewal. It could also pave the way for a better understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying certain skin diseases, such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. These questions will be further examined by the research group in future studies.


Contributing to an alternative to animal models

Alejandro Díaz-Barreiro is already working on the next step: “In the model we used previously, the effects of oxidative stress were artificially induced in a single layer of keratinocytes, a scenario that differs from the actual situation in the skin. We are therefore developing a new experimental system to apply oxygen gradients to in vitro reconstituted human epidermis. In this model, only the skin surface will be exposed to ambient air, while the other layers will be protected. This will allow us to study in detail the effect of oxidative stress on epidermal renewal.” By enabling a more precise analysis of human cells, this new system will provide an alternative to animal models often used for the study of skin biology and disease.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
A new model to explore the epidermal renewal

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study reveals significant global disparities in cancer care across different countries

2024-11-18
A recent analysis reveals striking disparities in the cost and availability of cancer drugs across different regions of the globe, with significant gaps between high- and low-income countries. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The analysis, which drew on relevant published studies and reviews related to cancer and the availability of cancer treatments, predicts that there will be an estimated 28.4 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2040 alone. In the coming years, cancer incidence is expected to increase most significantly in low-income countries. Cancer mortality ...

Proactively screening diabetics for heart disease does not improve long-term mortality rates or reduce future cardiac events, new study finds

Proactively screening diabetics for heart disease does not improve long-term mortality rates or reduce future cardiac events, new study finds
2024-11-18
While coronary heart disease and diabetes are often seen in the same patients, a diagnosis of diabetes does not necessarily mean that patients also have coronary heart disease, according to a new study from researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City. The Intermountain study found that proactively screening patients with diabetes 1 and 2 for coronary heart disease who have not shown symptoms of heart problems does not improve long-term mortality rates, nor does it lower the chance of them ...

New model can help understand coexistence in nature

New model can help understand coexistence in nature
2024-11-18
Different species of seabirds can coexist on small, isolated islands despite eating the same kind of fish. A researcher at Uppsala University has been involved in developing a mathematical model that can be used to better understand how this ecosystem works. “Our model shows that coexistence occurs naturally when species differ in their ability to catch fish and to efficiently fly long distances to the area where they catch fish,” says Claus Rüffler, Associate Professor of Animal Ecology at Uppsala University. Seabirds can breed in very large colonies, sometimes consisting of several hundred thousand pairs. Ecologists working ...

National Poll: Some parents need support managing children's anger

National Poll: Some parents need support managing childrens anger
2024-11-18
ANN ARBOR, Mich. –  Many parents are all too familiar with angry outbursts from their children, from sibling squabbles to protests over screen time limits. But some parents may find it challenging to help their kids manage intense emotions. One in seven think their child gets angrier than peers of the same age and four in 10 say their child has experienced negative consequences when angry, a new national poll suggests.   Seven in 10 parents even think they sometimes set a bad example of handling anger themselves, according to the University of Michigan Health ...

Political shadows cast by the Antarctic curtain

Political shadows cast by the Antarctic curtain
2024-11-18
The scientific debate around the installation of a massive underwater curtain to protect Antarctic ice sheets from melting lacks its vital political perspective. A Kobe University research team argues that the serious questions around authority, sovereignty and security should be addressed proactively by the scientific community to avoid the protected seventh continent becoming the scene or object of international discord. A January 2024 article in Nature put the spotlight on a bold idea originally proposed by Finnish researchers to save the West Antarctic ...

Scientists lead study on ‘spray on, wash off’ bandages for painful EB condition

2024-11-18
Research into new bandaging aims to ease the agony experienced by those living with genetic skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), commonly referred to as 'butterfly skin'. Scientists at Maynooth University in Ireland are leading research into whether ‘spray on, wash off’ bandages will be a viable alternative to those currently used, which can cause severe pain when applied and removed. EB, which affects over 500,000 children and adults worldwide including 5,000 in the UK and 300 ...

A new discovery about pain signalling may contribute to better treatment of chronic pain

A new discovery about pain signalling may contribute to better treatment of chronic pain
2024-11-18
When pain signals are passed along the nervous system, proteins called calcium channels play a key role. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have now pinpointed the exact location of a specific calcium channel fine-tuning the strength of pain signals. This knowledge can be used to develop drugs for chronic pain that are more effective and have fewer side effects. Pain sensations and other information are mainly conducted through our nervous system as electrical signals. Yet at decisive moments, this information is converted to biochemical signals, in the form of specific molecules. To develop future drugs ...

Migrating birds have stowaway passengers: invasive ticks could spread novel diseases around the world

2024-11-18
Ticks travel light, but they carry pathogens with them. When they parasitize migrating birds, these journeys can take them thousands of miles away from their usual geographic range. Historically, they haven’t been able to establish themselves, due to unsuitable climate conditions at the other end of their long journeys. But now, thanks to the climate crisis, it’s getting easier for ticks to survive and spread, potentially bringing novel tick-borne pathogens with them. “If conditions become more hospitable for tropical tick species to establish themselves in areas where they would previously have been unsuccessful, then there is a chance they could bring new diseases ...

Diabetes drug shows promise in protecting kidneys

Diabetes drug shows promise in protecting kidneys
2024-11-18
Type 2 diabetes can lead to diabetic kidney disease, but a class of drugs that cause the kidneys to remove glucose through urine has been gaining attention. An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research group has investigated how such drugs maintain kidney health. Known as SGLT2 (sodium-glucose cotransporter-2) inhibitors, the drugs are used to treat type 2 diabetes along with an exercise and diet regimen. The group led by Graduate School of Medicine Associate Professor Katsuhito Mori focused on the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin and its effects on the kidney. Using BOLD ...

Updated model reduces liver transplant disparities for women

2024-11-18
SAN DIEGO, California (Nov. 18, 2024) — Since the adoption of a new model for assessing the severity of liver disease, women are more likely to be added to the waitlist for a liver transplant, more likely to receive a transplant, and less likely to drop off the waitlist — closing the gap between men and women candidates, according to a study scheduled for presentation today at The Liver Meeting held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. In July 2023, the federal Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) updated its Model for End-Stage Liver Disease to a new version, known as MELD 3.0, to better account for differences between ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

With no prior training, dogs can infer how similar types of toys work, even when they don’t look alike

Three deadliest risk factors of a common liver disease identified in new study

Dogs can extend word meanings to new objects based on function, not appearance

Palaeontology: South American amber deposit ‘abuzz’ with ancient insects

Oral microbes linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer

Soccer heading does most damage to brain area critical for cognition

US faces rising death toll from wildfire smoke, study finds

Scenario projections of COVID-19 burden in the US, 2024-2025

Disparities by race and ethnicity in percutaneous coronary intervention

Glioblastoma cells “unstick” from their neighbors to become more deadly

Oral bacterial and fungal microbiome and subsequent risk for pancreatic cancer

New light on toxicity of Bluefin tuna

Menopause drug reduces hot flashes by more than 70%, international clinical trial finds

FGF21 muscle hormone associated with slow ALS progression and extended survival

Hitting the right note: The healing power of music therapy in the cardiac ICU

Cardiovascular disease risk rises in Mexico, despite improved cholesterol control

Flexible optical touch sensor simultaneously pinpoints pressure strength and location

Achalasia diagnosis simplified to AI plus X-ray

PolyU scholars pioneer smart and sustainable personal cooling technologies to address global extreme heat

NIH grant aims for childhood vaccine against HIV

Menstrual cycle and long COVID: A relation confirmed

WMO report on global water resources: 2024 was characterized by both extreme drought and intense rainfall

New findings explain how a mutation in a cancer-related gen causes pulmonary fibrosis

Thermal trigger

SNU materials science and engineering team identifies reconstruction mechanism of copper alloy catalysts for CO₂ conversion

New book challenges misconceptions about evolution and our place in the tree of life

Decoding a decade of grouper grunts unlocks spawning secrets, shifts

Smart robots revolutionize structural health monitoring

Serum-derived hsa_circ_101555 as a diagnostic biomarker in non-hepatocellular carcinoma chronic liver disease

Korea University study identifies age 70 as cutoff for chemotherapy benefit in colorectal cancer

[Press-News.org] A new model to explore the epidermal renewal
A UNIGE study has uncovered an unexpected mechanism used by the protein interleukin-38 to form condensates, major drivers of skin renewal