Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40410664›Full record

ArticleACS biomaterials science & engineering2025

Development of a Sensory Neuron-Integrated Skin Spheroid Model for the Evaluation of Neuropeptide-Based Topical Delivery Systems.

Bianca Aparecida Martin, Juliana Viegas, Luciana Facco Dalmolin, Emerson de Souza Santos, Izabela Pereira Vatanabe, Sabrina Francesca Lisboa, Renata Fonseca Vianna Lopez, Bruno Sarmento

Erratum issuedAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ACS biomaterials science & engineering, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Bianca Aparecida MartinSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n°, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Juliana Viegasi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
Luciana Facco DalmolinSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n°, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Emerson de Souza SantosSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n°, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Izabela Pereira VatanabeSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n°, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Sabrina Francesca LisboaSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n°, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Renata Fonseca Vianna LopezSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n°, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-6448-6711
Bruno Sarmentoi3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-5763-7553

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The skin is a complex organ composed of multiple layers and diverse cell types, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and sensory neurons, which maintain its structural and functional integrity together. Conventional in vitro and ex vivo models help investigate drug permeation and selected biological effects. However, they are limited in replicating neural interactions critical for assessing the efficacy of neuropeptide-based therapies. To address this limitation, a sensory neuron-integrated skin spheroid (SS) model was established, incorporating key skin cell types and providing a rapid, adaptable, and physiologically relevant platform for screening the biological activity of topical delivery systems targeting neuronal pathways. The model's responsiveness was demonstrated using acetyl hexapeptide-3 (HEX-3), a neuropeptide that inhibits acetylcholine release. HEX-3 was internalized by spheroid cells, with preferential accumulation around sensory neurons, confirming targeted cellular uptake. In parallel, ex vivo human skin studies confirmed that HEX-3 can traverse the stratum corneum and accumulate in deeper layers. Treatment with this film enhanced skin hydration, reduced scaling, and improved the structural organization of the stratum corneum after 48 h. Functional assays using the SS model showed that HEX-3 treatment suppressed acetylcholine release, upregulated the antioxidant enzyme SOD2, and stimulated type I collagen synthesis. In aged skin samples, the application of HEX-3 significantly increased collagen levels. This effect was mirrored in the spheroid model, which reached collagen levels comparable to those of aged human skin upon treatment. These findings establish the SS model as a robust platform for evaluating the biological activity of neuropeptide-based topical therapies, offering valuable insights for developing advanced strategies for skin rejuvenation and repair.

Indexed as

Drug Delivery SystemsNeuropeptidesOligopeptidesSensory Receptor CellsSkinSpheroids, CellularAcetylcholineAdministration, TopicalHumansAcetylcholineNeuropeptidesOligopeptidesacetyl hexapeptide-3aged skinaging productsneuronal modelskin spheroids

Identifiers

PMID40410664
PMCPMC12818723

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.