Joachim Wilhelm Fluhr Livres

Skin physiology assessment is moving rapidly from a descriptive approach to a deeper understanding of biophysical and biochemical processes in the stratum corneum, e.g. on stratum corneum barrier function as well on stratum corneum hydration. The research with bioengineering methods offers now reliable and reproducible approaches for product testing in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry as well as in basic research. This cookbook is intended to give basic information regarding skin physiology, the assessment of skin functions in controlled studies using non-invasive biophysical instruments. It provides basic knowledge on how to plan, perform and evaluate scientific studies. The authors are recognized expert in the field and provide comprehensive chapters with specific emphasis on the practical aspects of non-invasive measurements.

In recent years the area of tissue engineering in dermatology has developed in a way that today the understanding of tissue pathways allows to design in vitro models for specific testing conditions or for therapeutically applied tissues, for instance, for patients with burns or chronic wounds. In particular in the fields of product safety for chemicals and cosmetic ingredients, and also in wound healing tissue-engineered skin replacement is used. This volume includes contributions on different cell types relevant in in vitro systems in dermatology such as melanocytes, keratinocytes or fibroblast cultures. Further articles deal with skin substitutes for cutaneous wounds, stem cells, and whole-cell bioprocessing. Providing a comprehensive overview on recent findings in tissue engineering this publication will be of interest to dermatologists in clinics and research, wound care specialists, molecular biologists as well as laboratory suppliers.

In this theme issue of ‘Exogenous Dermatology‘ leading experts discuss the influence of environmental factors on dry skin. In the first paper a comprehensive overview of the epidermal barrier function and its regional variations is given. The following article discusses the biomechanics of water and stratum corneum (SC). Subsequently the influence of seasonal changes on skin properties is discussed, and the fact that the ceramide content in the SC is associated with the regulation of SC hydration is reported. The final paper informs on eczema and other dry skin conditions where moisturizers are commonly used. This publication provides in-depth knowledge on the importance of the maintenance of the equilibrium of SC hydration and epidermal barrier function. It will be essential reading to dermatologists, occupational physicians, allergists, toxicologists, pharmacists, microbiologists and scientists in the pharmaceutic and cosmetic industry.