Yanyun Ma

Introduction: Dermal papilla cells regulate hair follicle growth, yet bioactive peptides that influence both pro-growth signaling and androgen receptor (AR)-associated regulation remain poorly characterized. This study evaluated the effects of Myristoyl Tetrapeptide-12 (MT12) on human dermal papilla cell function and its potential interaction with the AR ligand-binding domain (AR-LBD). Methods: Human dermal papilla cells were treated with MT12, with bicalutamide as a pharmacological reference. Cell viability, proliferation, and expression of Wnt/ β -catenin-related, AR-associated, and hair-growth-related genes were assessed by CCK-8, EdU incorporation, and quantitative PCR, respectively. Molecular docking, 500-ns molecular dynamics simulations, and residue communication-network analysis were used to characterize MT12–AR-LBD interactions. Results: MT12 showed good cytocompatibility and significantly increased dermal papilla cell proliferation, with EdU-positive cells increasing from approximately 5% in controls to 18%–22% after treatment. MT12 increased CTNNB1 and WNT5A expression and reduced DKK1 expression, together with changes in AR , TGF- β 1 , and PEDF/SERPINF1 transcripts. Computational analyses indicated that MT12 remained associated with the AR-LBD binding pocket and altered local flexibility, conformational sampling, correlated residue motions, and intradomain communication. A recurrent ASN705–MET895–ILE898 route linked the ligand-binding region to the H12/AF-2 regulatory region. Discussion: MT12 promotes dermal papilla cell proliferation and induces a Wnt/ β -catenin-related transcriptional profile consistent with pro-growth signaling, while structural analyses suggest modulation of AR conformational dynamics. These integrated cellular and computational findings support MT12 as a potential modulator of dermal papilla cell function, although AR-related activity and the causal role of Wnt/ β -catenin signaling require further validation.

Background: Companies launch tons of skin‐whitening products to cater to the consumer market. Though skin‐whitening cosmeceuticals are continuously developing, most cosmeceuticals are used alone, there is very little academic research conducting investigations into the effect of skin‐whitening cosmeceutical combinations. Objective: In this study, we aimed to screen out skin whitening agents and determine their optimal ratio to develop a formula with this combination. Further, to verify the skin whitening efficacy of blue light‐induced in in vivo models with or without UV and clinical tests were performed. Materials and Methods: Molecular docking simulations were used to screen out the best combination of skin whitening agents when combined in different ratios. In vitro tyrosinase activity and melanin content experiments helped to verify the best ratio combination. Clinical trials were also conducted to confirm the skin whitening efficacy on human skin. Results: 4‐ n ‐butylresorcinol, licochalcone A, and glabridin exhibited stronger binding affinities to tyrosinase, and the best combination molar ratio is 5:1:1, which could inhibit both tyrosinase activity and melanin content in vitro. Further, the formulation containing this combination showed good skin whitening efficacy and could even prevent UVA and blue light‐induced pigmentation. Conclusion: The 5:1:1 molar ratio of 4‐ n ‐butylresorcinol, licochalcone A, and glabridin was the best ratio that could inhibit both tyrosinase activity and melanin content. The formulation containing this ratio combination can enhance the skin whitening efficacy and also can prevent the UV and blue light induced skin pigmentation.

As a traditional hair-growth-promoting herb, Platycladi Cacumen (PC) has a long history of folk application in the field of hair loss improvement. Preliminary modern pharmacological studies have suggested that its active components may exert potential effects by regulating hair follicle-related signaling pathways; however, for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), the exact targets and specific regulatory mechanisms of PC remain unelucidated, which provides a direction for research on natural drug-based intervention in AGA. In this study, network pharmacology was employed to predict the active components and core targets of PC. Targets associated with AGA were collected, and the intersection targets between PC and AGA were identified. Subsequently, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed on the intersection targets to screen out the core targets. Thereafter, molecular docking and molecular dynamics(MD) simulation were conducted to validate the interactions between key active components and core targets. The component-target network diagram included 1044 interaction relationships between 32 components and 439 targets, among which quercetin(160), apigenin(150), myricetin(129), and hinokinin(105) were identified as key components. The disease-target network diagram summarized 410 targets associated with AGA. Through PPI network analysis, key targets such as ESR1(46), BCL2(44), INS(44), AR(42), and STAT3(40) were screened out. The results of GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis revealed that PC may exert its effects by regulating the EGFR receptor molecule and pathways including the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that the binding energies of all complexes were less than -5.0 kcal/mol, indicating favorable binding effects. MD simulation results showed that the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent-accessible surface area (SASA), two-dimensional free energy landscape (FEL-2D), and FEL-3D of the simulation system all remained in an equilibrium state with small fluctuation amplitudes. This result indicated that the molecular system had a stable overall conformation, restricted local residue movement, a compact spatial structure, and stable internal chemical bonds–collectively predicting that the quercetin-STAT3, apigenin-AR, myricetin-STAT3, and hinokinin-AR complexes may exhibit satisfactory binding stability. Collectively, Overall, this study systematically investigated the mechanism of action and potential value of PC leaves in intervening in AGA, providing a solid theoretical basis for the intervention of AGA with PC.

Modeling the quantitative relationship between physical measurements and human perception offers a research‐driven guide for mass customization and personalization of products. In China, individuals often select liquid foundation to improve skin whiteness when applying makeup, but there is currently no quantitative research on this preference for whiteness. The aim of this study is to investigate the quantitative impact of the whiteness index on the color preference of liquid foundation and to examine the relationship between individual skin tone and color preference evaluation. A total of 495 women, aged 18–40, from Shanghai, were included in this study. Ten popular liquid foundation colors were formulated by professional colorists from cosmetics companies. Facial skin color was measured using VISIA 7, and the results of subjective color evaluations across different skin tone groups were statistically analyzed to explore the influence of individual skin tone on color preference. The findings revealed that the whiteness scale of liquid foundation and subjective preference evaluation achieved the highest fitting result ( R ² = 0.97 for nonlinear fitting), suggesting that the whiteness index is the optimal metric for evaluating the color preference of foundation. Meanwhile, variations in color preference evaluation results for liquid foundation were observed across different skin tone groups. Finally, a color preference evaluation model based on individual skin tone grouping was established, with an R ² value of 0.93.

Photoelectric therapies (or non-invasive energy-based device treatment), especially picosecond lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments, are widely used to manage various cutaneous conditions, including pigmentation, inflammation, and signs of aging. However, these treatments can also impair the integrity of the skin barrier, making post-treatment repair of skin barrier function essential to maintain perioperative curative effects. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Eucerin® UltraSensitive Soothing Care Gel (GEL) and co-use of GEL and Eucerin® UltraSensitive Repair Intensive Source Serum (CO-USE) during the perioperative procedure. This study was designed with a four-week follow-up period, in which the first two weeks represented a pre-treatment phase. Self-assessment, clinical evaluation, and non-invasive skin testing were used at each visit after treatments to determine the efficacy of the two products. Compared to the placebo (PBO) group, both the GEL and CO-USE groups exhibited a significantly greater reduction in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and a notable increase in stratum corneum hydration (SCH) 24 hours post treatment. Regarding facial redness, there was a significantly greater decrease in the GEL and CO-USE groups compared to the PBO group at all follow-up time points on the picosecond laser side. Moreover, the CO-USE group showed superior efficacy in alleviating skin sensitivity symptoms following the interventions. Both products were well tolerated and exhibited favourable safety profiles. Both commercially available skincare products tested in the present study were found to be clinically effective in inhibiting laser-induced skin barrier damage, and reducing skin redness and skin sensitivity.

Skin fibrosis is the most typical pathological manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and localized scleroderma (LS) with unclear etiology and few effective treatments. Though excessive collagen secretion by fibroblasts is the primary cause of skin fibrosis, many lines of evidence suggested that vascular damage was the initiating event and various cell types along with fibroblasts worked together to contribute to the pathogenesis of skin fibrosis. We sought to explore the relationships between vascular endothelial cell lesions and immune cell infiltration, along with the cell-cell interactions among various cell types within the fibrotic skin ecosystem. Single-cell RNA-seq (10x Genomics) was performed on skin biopsies of 3 healthy donors and 7 SSc patients in Chinese. The additional 3 localized scleroderma patients’ data from NCBI database (GSE160536) were integrated by Harmony. CellChat package (v1.5.0) was applied to analyze cell communication network. Transwell assay and subcutaneous bleomycin (BLM) injection in mice were used to explore the role of ACKR1 on immune cell infiltration. Milo single-cell western blot was applied to show the activation of fibroblast subclusters. A total of 62,295 cells were obtained and subpopulations of stromal and immune cells were identified. Interaction network analysis revealed that multiple chemokines secreted by macrophages, pericytes, and pro-inflammatory fibroblasts could bind with Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (ACKR1), which is highly expressed on ACKR1⁺ endothelial cells of lesion skin. Transwell assay revealed that over-expressed ACKR1 in HUVEC facilitated leukocyte infiltration under the treatment of IL8. The BLM mice showed enhanced ACKR1 expression, massive immune cell infiltration, and fibrosis in skin, which could be attenuated by ACKR1 inhibition. Furthermore, infiltrated macrophages with TGFB1 or PDGFB high production could activate SFRP2/ASPN⁺ fibroblasts to contribute to excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), and the SOX4-ASPN axis plays an important role in the TGF-β signaling cascade and the etiology of skin fibrosis. Our results reveal that highly expressed ACKR1 in endothelial cells of fibrotic skin tissue promotes immune cell infiltration, and SFRP2/ASPN⁺ fibroblasts synergize to exacerbate skin fibrosis.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) exhibits multiple skincare functions such as anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects. However, its topical application is limited due to its difficulty in bypassing the stratum corneum barrier, relatively low bioavailability, and low stability. Herein, elastic nano-liposomes (ENLs) with excellent deformability and elasticity were utilized as a novel drug delivery system to encapsulate PEA to overcome the abovementioned issues and enhance the biological effects on the skin. ENL was prepared with phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and cetyl-PG hydroxyethyl palmitamide with a molar ratio mimicking skin epidermal lipids, and PEA was loaded. The PEA-loaded ENL (PEA-ENL) demonstrated efficient transdermal delivery and enhanced skin retention, with negligible cytotoxicity toward HaCaT cells and no allergic reaction in the human skin patch test. Notably, PEA-ENL treatment increased cell migration and induced significant regulation in the expression of genes associated with anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and skin barrier repair. The mechanism of the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of PEA was further investigated and explained by molecular docking site analysis. This novel PEA-ENL, with efficient transdermal delivery efficiency and multiple skincare functionalities, is promising for topical application.