The impact of skincare ingredients on skin-resident immune cell responses

The skin serves as a barrier, sensory, and immune organ and consists of a complex network of immune resident cells crucial for host defense and tissue homeostasis.

This project aims to investigate the response of key skin resident immune cells e.g. T cells, mast cells and macrophages, to inflammatory challenges and assess the impact of skin care ingredients on these responses. In vitro cell systems will be used to define key markers of immune cell activity following different inflammatory stimuli and to understand how treatment with different skin care ingredients (e.g. retinol, nicotinamide) may influence the immune cell phenotype and have an impact cell proliferation, activation and mediator secretion.

Furthermore, ex vivo human skin explants will be used to investigate the impact of the skin microenvironment on immune cell activities. RNA sequencing, flow cytometry and high throughput histology techniques will be utilised to understand how cosmetic ingredients might target cellular inflammatory pathways and to design predictive models of the anti-inflammatory potential of specific skin care products.

Thus, this project promises to deliver an in-depth experience in both laboratory and clinical aspects of skin research, bioinformatics training, and the opportunity to gain insights into skin care formulation and commercial applications of scientific research.