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Biology
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Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin
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Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Physiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 10293

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Seon-Pil Jin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
Interests: skin; dermatology; scleroderma; rheumatic skin disease; pemphigus; atopic dermatitis; inflammatory skin disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on the “Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin” is a comprehensive exploration of the intricate workings and disorders of the body’s largest organ, the skin. This collection of articles brings together cutting-edge research in the fields of dermatology, biology, and physiology, providing invaluable insights into the mechanisms governing skin health and the pathological conditions that disrupt its equilibrium.

This Special Issue delves into the multifaceted aspects of skin physiology, encompassing topics such as epidermal barrier function, wound healing, melanogenesis, immune responses, and sensory perception. Moreover, it illuminates the underlying molecular and cellular processes maintaining skin homeostasis. In parallel, this Special Issue meticulously examines various skin disorders, including dermatitis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and autoimmune diseases, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic approaches.

With contributions from leading experts in the field, this Special Issue is a critical resource for researchers, doctors, and students aiming to deepen their understanding of skin health, from the molecular level to applications. It serves as a foundation for advancing the fields of dermatology and skin biology.

This Special Issue promises to enrich our skin biology and pathology knowledge, ultimately leading to improved diagnostics and therapies for various skin-related conditions.

Dr. Seon-Pil Jin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • epidermal barrier
  • melanogenesis
  • wound healing
  • skin immunity
  • sensory perception
  • dermatitis
  • psoriasis
  • atopic dermatitis
  • autoimmune skin disorders
  • therapeutic approaches

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 15645 KiB  
Article
Rat 3D Printed Induction Device (RAPID-3D): A 3D-Printed Device for Uniform and Reproducible Scald Burn Induction in Rats with Histological and Microvascular Validation
by Oana-Janina Roșca, Alexandru Nistor, Călin Brandabur, Rodica Elena Heredea, Bogan Hoinoiu and Codruța Șoica
Biology 2025, 14(4), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14040378 - 7 Apr 2025
Viewed by 348
Abstract
Background: Scald burns are common thermal injuries in clinical settings, yet existing animal models lack standardization in burn size, exposure time, and severity control. Traditional burn induction methods, such as manual immersion or heated metal contact, suffer from high variability, limited reproducibility, and [...] Read more.
Background: Scald burns are common thermal injuries in clinical settings, yet existing animal models lack standardization in burn size, exposure time, and severity control. Traditional burn induction methods, such as manual immersion or heated metal contact, suffer from high variability, limited reproducibility, and are operator-dependent, reducing their translational relevance. This study presents RAPID-3D (rat printed induction device—3D), a novel 3D-printed system designed to induce uniform and reproducible scald burns in a rat model, ensuring precise exposure control and minimal variability. Methods: RAPID-3D features four burn exposure windows (10 × 20 mm each, 10 mm spacing), allowing for controlled boiling water (100 °C, 8 s) exposure while immobilizing the anesthetized rat’s dorsum. N = 10 female Wistar rats were subjected to eight controlled burns per animal. Internal unburned control areas were used in each rat for intra-animal comparison. Burn evolution was assessed using digital planimetry, histological evaluation, and real-time microvascular perfusion analysis via laser Doppler line scanning (LDLS) at 1 h, which was repeated on day 4, 9 and 21 post-burn. Results: RAPID-3D generated highly consistent burn sizes (198 ± 3.54 mm2) across all rats, with low inter-animal variability. Histological analysis confirmed full-thickness epidermal necrosis and deep partial-thickness dermal damage (600–900 µm depth). Microvascular Trends: Perfusion dropped immediately post-burn, remained low at day 4, and gradually increased from day 9 onward, suggesting progressive neovascularization and vascular remodeling. RAPID-3D provides a standardized, reproducible, and clinically relevant scald burn model, eliminates operator-induced variability, enhances experimental consistency, and offers strong translational relevance for burn treatment development and wound healing research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin)
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12 pages, 2023 KiB  
Article
Omics-Based Interaction Analysis Reveals Interplay of Chemical Pollutant (Ozone) and Photoradiation (UVSSR) Stressors in Skin Damage
by Hong Zhang, Yiying Dong, Xue Xiao, Xiao Cui and Xuelan Gu
Biology 2025, 14(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14010072 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 838
Abstract
The skin acts as the first line of defense against various environmental stressors, such as solar ultraviolet radiation, visible light, pollution particles and ozone. Simultaneous exposure to different stressors is common in everyday life but has been less studied than exposure to single [...] Read more.
The skin acts as the first line of defense against various environmental stressors, such as solar ultraviolet radiation, visible light, pollution particles and ozone. Simultaneous exposure to different stressors is common in everyday life but has been less studied than exposure to single stressors. Herein, the combined effects of a chemical pollutant (ozone) and a UV radiation stressor (UVSSR) were investigated on a 3D pigmented living skin equivalent model. Our results demonstrate that skin lightness (L* value) was significantly decreased by exposure to either UVSSR or ozone alone and that co-exposure to UVSSR and ozone further exacerbated surface darkness, suggesting that these stressors had a significant joint effect. Conventional differential expression analysis showed that, among exposure groups, co-exposure dysregulated the most genes, followed by ozone and UVSSR alone. Omics-based interaction framework (OBIF) analysis showed that most interactive genes following ozone and UVSSR exposure displayed a cooperative effect and had functions related to the skin barrier; these genes with synergistic effects were enriched in biological pathways such as the chronic inflammatory response and the apoptotic signaling pathway. In summary, exposure to ozone in combination with UVSSR showed a joint effect on UVSSR-induced phenotypic changes in the skin; the underlying mechanism was determined by using transcriptome analysis, showing the additive impacts of ozone on UVSSR-induced skin damage, such as cellular stress and inflammatory responses. These findings shed light on how ozone exacerbates UVSSR damage and indicate that the synergistic response genes identified using OBIF analysis may drive the progression of skin damage induced by chemical/photoradiation stress co-exposure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin)
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8 pages, 728 KiB  
Article
Effect of Pressure Loading on Heel Skin Temperature and Moisture in Healthy Volunteers: Preliminary Results
by Érica de Carvalho, Leticia Costa Marostica, Gabriela Fagundes Trento, Julia Scalco Marcolina, Fernanda Ceolin Teló, Rhea Silvia de Avila Soares, Lidiana Batista Teixeira Dutra Silveira, Suzinara Beatriz Soares de Lima, Paulo Jorge Pereira Alves and Thaís Dresch Eberhardt
Biology 2024, 13(10), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13100782 - 29 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1306
Abstract
Recent studies emphasize the significance of skin microclimate in the prevention of pressure injuries (PI). The objective was to evaluate the effect of pressure loading on skin temperature and moisture in the heels of healthy adults. This is a before-and-after study performed at [...] Read more.
Recent studies emphasize the significance of skin microclimate in the prevention of pressure injuries (PI). The objective was to evaluate the effect of pressure loading on skin temperature and moisture in the heels of healthy adults. This is a before-and-after study performed at Brazil, in October 2022. Skin temperature (°C) was measured by an infrared digital thermometer, and skin moisture (%) using electrical bioimpedance. Ten individuals/twenty heels were evaluated. The average temperature of the right and left heel was the same at baseline (27.2 °C). It was recognized that after 30 min of pressure loading on the heels, there was a decrease in temperature, and after 15 min of pressure offloading, the temperature decreased again. It was found that at t0, the moisture of the right heel (12.6%) was lower than the left heel (15.6%). The median moisture in the right heel increased from t0 to t1 and decreased in t2, while in the left heel, there was a small variation of the median from t0 to t1, as well as to t2. The pressure loading leads to a decrease in temperature and changes the skin moisture of the heels of healthy individuals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin)
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13 pages, 1852 KiB  
Article
Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Wound Healing Activities of Rutin and Quercetin and Their Interaction with Gentamicin on Excision Wounds in Diabetic Mice
by Yasir Almuhanna, Abdulrahman Alshalani, Hamood AlSudais, Fuad Alanazi, Mohammed Alissa, Mohammed Asad and Babu Joseph
Biology 2024, 13(9), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13090676 - 29 Aug 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2443
Abstract
Phytochemicals are effective and are gaining attention in fighting against drug-resistant bacterial strains. In the present study, rutin and quercetin were tested for antibacterial, antibiofilm, and wound healing activities on excision wounds infected with MDR-P. aeruginosa in diabetic mice. Antibacterial and antibiofilm [...] Read more.
Phytochemicals are effective and are gaining attention in fighting against drug-resistant bacterial strains. In the present study, rutin and quercetin were tested for antibacterial, antibiofilm, and wound healing activities on excision wounds infected with MDR-P. aeruginosa in diabetic mice. Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities were studied in vitro using broth dilution assay and crystal violet assay, respectively. These phytochemicals were tested alone for wound-healing activities at different concentrations (0.5% and 1% in ointment base) and in combination with gentamicin to evaluate any additive effects. Rutin and quercetin demonstrated effectiveness against MDR-P. aeruginosa at higher concentrations. Both phytochemicals inhibited biofilm formation in vitro and contributed to the healing of diabetic wounds by eradicating biofilm in the wounded tissue. Rutin at a low concentration (0.5%) had a lesser effect on reducing the epithelization period and regeneration of the epithelial layer compared to quercetin. When combined with gentamicin, quercetin (1%) displayed the maximum effect on epithelium regeneration, followed by rutin (1%) in combination with gentamicin. Both phytochemicals were found to be more effective in controlling biofilm and wound-healing activities when used as an additive with gentamicin. The study supports the traditional use of phytochemicals with antibacterial, antibiofilm, and wound-healing activities in managing diabetic infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin)
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12 pages, 2945 KiB  
Article
Retrospective Single-Center Case Study of Clinical Variables and the Degree of Actinic Elastosis Associated with Rare Skin Cancers
by Konstantin Drexler, Lara Bollmann, Sigrid Karrer, Mark Berneburg, Sebastian Haferkamp and Dennis Niebel
Biology 2024, 13(7), 529; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13070529 - 16 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1204
Abstract
(1) Background: Rare skin cancers include epithelial, neuroendocrine, and hematopoietic neoplasias as well as cutaneous sarcomas. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and sunburns are important drivers for the incidence of certain cutaneous sarcomas; however, the pathogenetic role of UV light is less clear in rare [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Rare skin cancers include epithelial, neuroendocrine, and hematopoietic neoplasias as well as cutaneous sarcomas. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and sunburns are important drivers for the incidence of certain cutaneous sarcomas; however, the pathogenetic role of UV light is less clear in rare skin cancers compared to keratinocyte cancer and melanoma. In this study, we compared the degree of actinic elastosis (AE) as a surrogate for lifetime UV exposure among selected rare skin cancers (atypical fibroxanthoma [AFX], pleomorphic dermal sarcoma [PDS], dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans [DFSP], Kaposi sarcoma [KS], Merkel cell carcinoma [MCC], and leiomyosarcoma [LMS]) while taking into account relevant clinical variables (age, sex, and body site). (2) Methods: We newly established a semi-quantitative score for the degree of AE ranging from 0 = none to 3 = total loss of elastic fibers (basophilic degeneration) and multiplied it by the perilesional vertical extent (depth), measured histometrically (tumor-associated elastosis grade (TEG)). We matched the TEG of n = 210 rare skin cancers from 210 patients with their clinical variables. (3) Results: TEG values were correlated with age and whether tumors arose on UV-exposed body sites. TEG values were significantly higher in AFX and PDS cases compared to all other analyzed rare skin cancer types. As expected, TEG values were low in DFSP and KS, while MCC cases exhibited intermediate TEG values. (4) Conclusions: High cumulative UV exposure is more strongly associated with AFX/PDS and MCC than with other rare skin cancers. These important results expand the available data associated with rare skin cancers while also offering insight into the value of differentiating among these tumor types based on their relationship with sun exposure, potentially informing preventative, diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin)
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Review

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20 pages, 671 KiB  
Review
Aquaporin Channels in Skin Physiology and Aging Pathophysiology: Investigating Their Role in Skin Function and the Hallmarks of Aging
by Nazli Karimi and Vahid Ahmadi
Biology 2024, 13(11), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13110862 - 24 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2930
Abstract
This study examines the critical role of aquaporins (AQPs) in skin physiology and aging pathophysiology. The skin plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis by acting as a protective barrier against external pathogens and excessive water loss, while also contributing to the appearance [...] Read more.
This study examines the critical role of aquaporins (AQPs) in skin physiology and aging pathophysiology. The skin plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis by acting as a protective barrier against external pathogens and excessive water loss, while also contributing to the appearance and self-esteem of individuals. Key physiological features, such as elasticity and repair capability, are essential for its proper function. However, with aging, these characteristics deteriorate, reducing the skin’s ability to tolerate environmental stressors which contribute to external aging as well as internal aging processes, which negatively affect barrier function, immune response, and overall well-being. AQPs, primarily known for facilitating water transport, are significant for normal skin functions, including hydration and the movement of molecules like glycerol and hydrogen peroxide, which influence various cellular processes and functions. In this context, we categorized aquaporin dysfunction into several hallmarks of aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell depletion, impaired macroautophagy, dysbiosis, and inflamm-aging. Eight aquaporins (AQP1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11) are expressed in various skin cells, regulating essential processes such as cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and also immune response. Dysregulation or altered expression of these proteins can enhance skin aging and related pathologies by activating these hallmarks. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of targeting aquaporins to mitigate skin aging and improve skin physiologic functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathophysiology of Skin)
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