The cutaneous lipidome: Does ethnicity impact skin's lipid barrier?

历史上，皮肤研究集中在白色北方欧洲人（或高加索人）皮肤的特性上。因此，我们对不同种族个体皮肤生物学的了解要少得多。还有一种假设是，旨在改善白色个体皮肤质量的治疗对深色皮肤的人同样有益。然而，数据表明，皮肤生理学、结构和机械功能在不同种族人群中发生了变化。然而，种族是否影响表皮屏障及其组成脂质尚不清楚。表皮脂质屏障在保护身体免受环境因素影响方面至关重要，并有助于我们的免疫防御。生物活性脂质，如神经酰胺，是角质层（SC）的关键成分，并密切参与渗透性和免疫皮肤屏障的结构和功能。此外，SC的脂质组成易受季节性变化的影响，并可能受到特应性皮炎等疾病和衰老的影响。目前，我们的知识是如何影响的表皮脂质在种族skin.In这个项目中，我们的目标是确定在SC脂质在个人的差异在广泛的种族群体，评估是否性别和年龄可以另外影响表皮脂质组成在不同的身体部位，并探讨这种改变的后果，表皮屏障的结构和功能。我们的实验方法将基于人类志愿者研究，并辅以非侵入性生物力学测量，如切割测量，使用质谱脂质组学分析SC脂质，遗传分析，以及通过免疫组织化学，组织学和原子力显微镜评估皮肤样本的生化特性。研究结果将产生对种族皮肤生物学的新的科学见解，长期目标是制定干预战略，以解决肤色较深的消费者未得到满足的需求。

Historically, skin research has focused on the properties of white Northern European (or Caucasian) skin. Consequently, our knowledge of skin biology in individuals from different ethnicities is much less advanced. There is also an assumption that treatments aiming to improve skin quality in white individuals will be equally beneficial in those with darker skin. However, data suggest that skin physiology, structure and mechanical function, is altered across different ethnic populations. However, it is unknown whether ethnicity impacts the epidermal barrier and its component lipids.The epidermal lipid barrier is vital in protecting the body from environmental factors and contributes to our immune defenses. Bioactive lipids, such as ceramides, are key components of the stratum corneum (SC) and are intimately involved in the structure and function of both the permeability and immunological skin barriers. Furthermore, the lipid composition of SC is subject to seasonal changes, and can be affected by diseases such as atopic dermatitis, and the onset of ageing. Currently, our knowledge of how the epidermal lipidome influences barrier properties in ethnic skin is limited.In this project we aim to identify differences in SC lipids in individuals across a wide-range of ethnic groups, assess whether gender and age can additionally impact epidermal lipid composition across different body sites, and explore the consequence of such alterations for the epidermal barrier's structure and function. Our experimental approach will be based on a human volunteer study accompanied by non-invasive biomechanical measures such as cutometry, analysis of SC lipids using mass spectrometry lipidomics, genetic analyses, and assessment of biochemical properties of skin samples by immunohistochemistry, histology, and atomic force microscopy.The study outcomes will generate new scientific insight into the biology of ethnic skin, with the long-term aims of developing intervention strategies to address unmet needs of consumers with darker skin tones.