Immunosuppressive effects of UV radiation in immunocompetent epidermal equivalent

• Grant number: 13/12682-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): November 15, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal researcher: Silvya Stuchi Maria-Engler
• Grantee: Tatiana Do Nascimento Pedrosa
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 15/23938-0 - Development and characterization of an in vitro atopic dermatitis model, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The immunosuppressive effects of solar ultraviolet radiation light (UVR) particularly UVB (290-320 nm) are well known. Studies conducted mostly in vivo have demonstrated immunosuppressive effects of UVR not only in individualized regions as well as systemic effects. Among the most evident local effects, there is a contact hypersensitivity inhibition. Many studies have also shown that the immunosuppression caused by UVR is a risk factor for the skin cancer development. Nowadays, several tests using animals models are used for immunotoxic effects assessment such as immunosuppression and sensitization. However, these assays deal with a variety of secondary questions such as cost and relevant ethical issues to the human risk evaluation. Furthermore, there are some suggestions indicating that in vitro approaches can eliminate these problems without harm to human safety. For the success of an in vitro test in the replacement of an animal model, it must be able to generate data comparable to those existing in vivo models, to generate accuracy, reliable and robust data. These tests should resume the complex interactions of a chemical substance with the different compartments of the immune system: The chemical compound should penetrate in the skin and react with endogenous proteins. The main limitation of in vitro models is the lack of immunocompetent epidermal equivalents skin commercially available and some tests are under development. Despite the ethical and political pressure, the use of in vitro tests is still not a reality in Brazil. Thus, the main goal of this project is the immune cells incorporation to the artificial skin platform developed in our laboratory. This fact will have great importance to the cosmetic and medicine industries in Brazil, because the models made abroad and validated by European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) have difficult access in Brazil for logistics and especially customs. So, this model would attend the humanitarian issues, adding value and allowing the entrance of our products in the European market, as well as having great value to academic research. Thus, this equivalent of immunocompetent skin may be used in research aiming to investigate the microenvironment epidermis/dendritic cells in the irritation and immunosuppression process of the skin. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CATARINO, CAROLINA MOTTER; PEDROSA, TATIANA DO NASCIMENTO; PENNACCHI, PAULA COMUNE; DE ASSIS, SILVIA ROMANO; GIMENES, FABRICIA; LOPES CONSOLARO, MARCIA EDILAINE; DE MORAES BARROS, SILVIA BERLANGA; MARIA-ENGLER, SILVYA STUCHI. Skin corrosion test: a comparison between reconstructed human epidermis and full thickness skin models. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS, v. 125, p. 51-57, APR 2018. Web of Science Citations: 1.

PEDROSA, TATIANA DO NASCIMENTO; CATARINO, CAROLINA MOTTER; PENNACCHI, PAULA COMUNE; DE ASSIS, SILVIA ROMANO; GIMENES, FABRICIA; LOPES CONSOLARO, MARCIA EDILAINE; DE MORAES BARROS, SILVIA BERLANGA; MARIA-ENGLER, SILVYA STUCHI. A new reconstructed human epidermis for in vitro skin irritation testing. TOXICOLOGY IN VITRO, v. 42, p. 31-37, AUG 2017. Web of Science Citations: 6.