Exosomes Application in Skin Aesthetics

Exosomes are now considered an important subcategory of extracellular vesicles (ECVs) that contain a core of micro-RNA (miRNA), messenger-RNA (mRNA), transcription factors, membrane-trafficking proteins, antigen-presenting proteins, and other peptides protected within a bilayer lipid membrane. To date, exosomes have displayed a plethora of prospective clinical applications, including stem cell maintenance and plasticity, biomarkers, adjuncts in chemotherapy and drug delivery, and wound healing supplements that promote angiogenesis.

Figure 1 Diagrammatic representation of the skin structure and the molecular composition of exosomes¹.

CD Bioparticles can provide you with high purity exosomes with unique advantages, especially high stability, intrinsic bioactivity and easy absorption.

Introduction of Exosomes Application in Skin Aesthetics

Exposure to the external environment may lead to instability and dysfunction of the skin, resulting in refractory wound, skin aging, pigmented dermatosis, hair loss, some immune-mediated dermatoses, and connective tissue diseases. Nowadays, many skin treatments have not achieved a commendable balance between medical recovery and cosmetic needs. Exosomes are cell-derived nanoscale vesicles carrying various biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, with the capability to communicate with adjacent or distant cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that endogenic multiple kinds of exosomes are crucial orchestrators in shaping physiological and pathological development of the skin. Besides, exogenous exosomes, such as stem cell exosomes, can serve as novel treatment options to repair, regenerate, and rejuvenate skin tissue¹.

The Applications of Exosomes in Skin Aesthetics

• The application of extracellular vesicles in the regulation of skin pigmentation, freckles, age spots, and melasma.

EVs and miRNA-based cross-talk between keratinocytes and melanocytes are implicated in inhibiting pigmentation. UV radiation can also regulate the light-dependent function of keratinocyte-derived EVs².

• The application of extracellular vesicles in skin scar repair.

EVs released by various cell types, including macrophages and fibroblasts, play a role in scar formation. EVs derived from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC-exos) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-Ex) accelerate scar healing. EVs derived from hucMSCs promote skin cell proliferation and migration through Wnt4³.

• The application of extracellular vesicles in skin regeneration/anti-aging.

Autologous HDF extracellular vesicle therapy improves facial contour and slows down skin aging by regulating TIMP-1, miRNAs, TNF-α, and TGF-β expression. Embryonic stem cell-derived mmu-miR-291a-3p inhibits cellular senescence in human skin fibroblasts through the TGF-β receptor 2 pathway⁴.

• The application of extracellular vesicles in hair follicle regeneration.

DPC-derived extracellular vesicles (DPC-Exos) accelerate hair follicle growth and development by regulating the growth and cycling of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and dermal papilla cells (DPCs)⁵.

• The adjuvant therapeutic application in cosmetic injections.

For example, in the case of dermal fillers or botulinum toxin injections, exosomes may play a role in improving the effectiveness or duration of the effects.

Our Skin Aesthetics ECVs Featured Services:

We offer a range of testing services to support the evaluation of exosome activity, both in vitro and in vivo. Our services include:

• Exosome cell fermentation process development and production: Engineering cell strains are fermented and amplified for production.
• Isolation and purification: The best exosome purification conditions are explored through processes such as 0.22μm membrane filtration, ultrafiltration concentration, chromatography, concentration, and displacement. This involves utilizing principles such as Ultracentrifugation-based isolation, size-based isolation, immunoaffinity capture-based isolation, SEC or other chromatography techniques to achieve your exosome isolation and purification goals.
• Characterizations: Our characterization services mainly include particle size, zeta potential, transmittance, TEB, WB, purity (proportion of membrane particles, HPLC-SEC, target protein/total protein, etc.), target protein content, BCA protein content, non-free target protein content, stability, and bioavailability.
• In vitro and in vivo evaluations: When it comes to assessing the effectiveness of exosomes in medical aesthetics, actual testing is crucial. We can offer various skin and testing models to evaluate the activity of exosomes. These models may include, but are not limited to, cell culture assays and ultraviolet B treatments, reconstructed epidermis, and animal models of skin damage.

Quotations and Ordering

References

1. Xiong M, et al.; The novel mechanisms and applications of exosomes in dermatology and cutaneous medical aesthetics. Pharmacol Res. 2021, 166:105490.
2. icero, A., et al.; Exosomes released by keratinocytes modulate melanocyte pigmentation. Nat Commun. 2015. 6, 7506.
3. Zhang B, et al.; HucMSC-Exosome Mediated-Wnt4 Signaling Is Required for Cutaneous Wound Healing. Stem Cells. 2015, 33(7):2158-68.
4. Bae YU, et al.; Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived mmu-miR-291a-3p Inhibits Cellular Senescence in Human Dermal Fibroblasts Through the TGF-β Receptor 2 Pathway. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2019, 74(9):1359-1367.
5. Zhou L, et al.; Regulation of hair follicle development by exosomes derived from dermal papilla cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2018, 500(2):325-332.