Sweat gland regeneration: Current strategies and future opportunities

Advances and applications of biomimetic biomaterials for endogenous skin regeneration

Endogenous regeneration is becoming an increasingly important strategy for wound healing as it facilitates skin's own regenerative potential for self-healing, thereby avoiding the risks of immune rejection and exogenous infection. However, currently applied biomaterials for inducing endogenous skin regeneration are simplistic in their structure and function, lacking the ability to accurately mimic the intricate tissue structure and regulate the disordered microenvironment. Novel biomimetic biomaterials with precise structure, chemical composition, and biophysical properties offer a promising avenue for achieving perfect endogenous skin regeneration. Here, we outline the recent advances in biomimetic materials induced endogenous skin regeneration from the aspects of structural and functional mimicry, physiological process regulation, and biophysical property design. Furthermore, novel techniques including in situ reprograming, flexible electronic skin, artificial intelligence, single-cell sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics, which have potential to contribute to the development of biomimetic biomaterials are highlighted. Finally, the prospects and challenges of further research and application of biomimetic biomaterials are discussed. This review provides reference to address the clinical problems of rapid and high-quality skin regeneration.

Genetic Tools for Cell Lineage Tracing and Profiling Developmental Trajectories in the Skin

The epidermis is the body's first line of protection against dehydration and pathogens, continually regenerating the outermost protective skin layers throughout life. During both embryonic development and wound healing, epidermal stem and progenitor cells must respond to external stimuli and insults to build, maintain, and repair the cutaneous barrier. Recent advances in CRISPR-based methods for cell lineage tracing have remarkably expanded the potential for experiments that track stem and progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation over the course of tissue and even organismal development. Additional tools for DNA-based recording of cellular signaling cues promise to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms driving normal skin morphogenesis and response to stressors as well as the dysregulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in skin diseases and cancer. In this review, we highlight cutting-edge methods for cell lineage tracing, including in organoids and model organisms, and explore how cutaneous biology researchers might leverage these techniques to elucidate the developmental programs that support the regenerative capacity and plasticity of the skin.

Biomaterial-based mechanical regulation facilitates scarless wound healing with functional skin appendage regeneration

Scar formation resulting from burns or severe trauma can significantly compromise the structural integrity of skin and lead to permanent loss of skin appendages, ultimately impairing its normal physiological function. Accumulating evidence underscores the potential of targeted modulation of mechanical cues to enhance skin regeneration, promoting scarless repair by influencing the extracellular microenvironment and driving the phenotypic transitions. The field of skin repair and skin appendage regeneration has witnessed remarkable advancements in the utilization of biomaterials with distinct physical properties. However, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains somewhat elusive, limiting the broader application of these innovations. In this review, we present two promising biomaterial-based mechanical approaches aimed at bolstering the regenerative capacity of compromised skin. The first approach involves leveraging biomaterials with specific biophysical properties to create an optimal scarless environment that supports cellular activities essential for regeneration. The second approach centers on harnessing mechanical forces exerted by biomaterials to enhance cellular plasticity, facilitating efficient cellular reprogramming and, consequently, promoting the regeneration of skin appendages. In summary, the manipulation of mechanical cues using biomaterial-based strategies holds significant promise as a supplementary approach for achieving scarless wound healing, coupled with the restoration of multiple skin appendage functions.

Bioactive materials for in vivo sweat gland regeneration

Loss of sweat glands (SwGs) commonly associated with extensive skin defects is a leading cause of hyperthermia and heat stroke. In vivo tissue engineering possesses the potential to take use of the body natural ability to regenerate SwGs, making it more conducive to clinical translation. Despite recent advances in regenerative medicine, reconstructing SwG tissue with the same structure and function as native tissue remains challenging. Elucidating the SwG generation mechanism and developing biomaterials for in vivo tissue engineering is essential for understanding and developing in vivo SwG regenerative strategies. Here, we outline the cell biology associated with functional wound healing and the characteristics of bioactive materials. We critically summarize the recent progress in bioactive material-based cell modulation approaches for in vivo SwG regeneration, including the recruitment of endogenous cells to the skin lesion for SwG regeneration and in vivo cellular reprogramming for SwG regeneration. We discussed the re-establishment of microenvironment via bioactive material-mediated regulators. Besides, we offer promising perspectives for directing in situ SwG regeneration via bioactive material-based cell-free strategy, which is a simple and effective approach to regenerate SwG tissue with both fidelity of structure and function. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of in vivo SwG regeneration in detail. The molecular mechanisms and cell fate modulation of in vivo SwG regeneration will provide further insights into the regeneration of patient-specific SwGs and the development of potential intervention strategies for gland-derived diseases.

Metabolic patterns of sweat-extracellular vesicles during exercise and recovery states using clinical grade patches

Background: Metabolite-based sensors are attractive and highly valued for monitoring physiological parameters during rest and/or during physical activities. Owing to their molecular composition consisting of nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become acknowledged as a novel tool for disease diagnosis. However, the evidence for sweat related EVs delivering information of physical and recovery states remains to be addressed. Methods: Taking advantage of our recently published methodology allowing the enrichment and isolation of sweat EVs from clinical patches, we investigated the metabolic load of sweat EVs in healthy participants exposed to exercise test or recovery condition. -Ten healthy volunteers (-three females and -seven males) were recruited to participate in this study. During exercise test and recovery condition, clinical patches were attached to participants' skin, on their back. Following exercise test or recovery condition, the patches were carefully removed and proceed for sweat EVs isolation. To explore the metabolic composition of sweat EVs, a targeted global metabolomics profiling of 41 metabolites was performed. Results: Our results identified seventeen metabolites in sweat EVs. These are associated with amino acids, glutamate, glutathione, fatty acids, creatine, and glycolysis pathways. Furthermore, when comparing the metabolites' levels in sweat EVs isolated during exercise to the metabolite levels in sweat EVs collected after recovery, our findings revealed a distinct metabolic profiling of sweat EVs. Furthermore, the level of these metabolites, mainly myristate, may reflect an inverse correlation with blood glucose, heart rate, and respiratory rate levels. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that sweat EVs can be purified using routinely used clinical patches during physical activity, setting the foundations for larger-scale clinical cohort work. Furthermore, the metabolites identified in sweat EVs also offer a realistic means to identify relevant sport performance biomarkers. This study thus provides proof-of-concept towards a novel methodology that will focus on the use of sweat EVs and their metabolic composition as a non-invasive approach for developing the next-generation of sport wearable sensors.

Skin-Interfaced Superhydrophobic Insensible Sweat Sensors for Evaluating Body Thermoregulation and Skin Barrier Functions

Monitoring sweat rate is vital for estimating sweat loss and accurately measuring biomarkers of interest. Although various optical or electrical sensors have been developed to monitor the sensible sweat rate, the quantification of the insensible sweat rate that is directly related to body thermoregulation and skin barrier functions still remains a challenge. This work introduces a superhydrophobic sweat sensor based on a polyacrylate sodium/MXene composite sandwiched between two superhydrophobic textile layers to continuously measure sweat vapor from insensible sweat with high sensitivity and rapid response. The superhydrophobic textile on a holey thin substrate with reduced stiffness and excellent breathability allows the permeation of sweat vapor, while preventing the sensor from being affected by the external water droplets and internal sensible sweat. Integrating the insensible sweat sensor with a flexible wireless communication and powering module further yields a standalone sensing system to continuously monitor insensible sweat rates at different body locations for diverse application scenarios. Proof-of-concept demonstrations on human subjects showcase the feasibility to continuously evaluate the body's thermoregulation and skin barrier functions for the assessment of thermal comfort, disease conditions, and nervous system activity. The results presented in this work also provide a low-cost device platform to detect other health-relevant biomarkers in the sweat (vapor) as the next-generation sweat sensor for smart healthcare and personalized medicine.

Exosomes Derived From Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treat Cutaneous Nerve Damage and Promote Wound Healing

Wound repair is a key step in the treatment of skin injury caused by burn, surgery, and trauma. Various stem cells have been proven to promote wound healing and skin regeneration as candidate seed cells. Therefore, exosomes derived from stem cells are emerging as a promising method for wound repair. However, the mechanism by which exosomes promote wound repair is still unclear. In this study, we reported that exosomes derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) promote wound healing and skin regeneration by treating cutaneous nerve damage. The results revealed that UC-MSCs exosomes (UC-MSC-Exo) promote the growth and migration of dermal fibroblast cells. In in vitro culture, dermal fibroblasts could promote to nerve cells and secrete nerve growth factors when stimulated by exosomes. During the repair process UC-MSC-Exo accelerated the recruitment of fibroblasts at the site of trauma and significantly enhanced cutaneous nerve regeneration in vivo. Interestingly, it was found that UC-MSC-Exo could promote wound healing and skin regeneration by recruiting fibroblasts, stimulating them to secrete nerve growth factors (NGFs) and promoting skin nerve regeneration. Therefore, we concluded that UC-MSC-Exo promote cutaneous nerve repair, which may play an important role in wound repair and skin regeneration.

MSC-derived sEV-loaded hyaluronan hydrogel promotes scarless skin healing by immunomodulation in a large skin wound model

Designing hydrogel-based constructs capable of adjusting immune cell functions holds promise for skin tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have attracted increasing attention owing to their anti-inflammatory and proangiogenic effects. Herein, we constructed a biofunctional hydrogel in which MSC-derived sEVs were incorporated into the injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel, thus endowing the hydrogel with immunomodulatory effects. When implanted onto the wound site in a mouse large skin injury model, this functional hydrogel facilitates wound healing and inhibits scar tissue formation by driving macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic (M2c) phenotype. Further investigation showed that the M2c-like phenotype induced by MSC-derived sEVs markedly inhibited the activation of fibroblasts, which could result in scarless skin wound healing. Taken together, these results suggest that modulation of the immune response is a promising and efficient approach to prevent fibrotic scar formation.

Small molecules facilitate single factor-mediated sweat gland cell reprogramming

BACKGROUND

Large skin defects severely disrupt the overall skin structure and can irreversibly damage sweat glands (SG), thus impairing the skin's physiological function. This study aims to develop a stepwise reprogramming strategy to convert fibroblasts into SG lineages, which may provide a promising method to obtain desirable cell types for the functional repair and regeneration of damaged skin.

METHODS

The expression of the SG markers cytokeratin 5 (CK5), cytokeratin 10 (CK10), cytokeratin 18 (CK18), carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), aquaporin 5 (AQP5) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was assessed with quantitative PCR (qPCR), immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Calcium activity analysis was conducted to test the function of induced SG-like cells (iSGCs). Mouse xenograft models were also used to evaluate the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs. BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into a normal group, SGM treatment group and iSGC transplantation group. Immunocytochemical analyses and starch-iodine sweat tests were used to confirm the in vivo regeneration of iSGCs.

RESULTS

EDA overexpression drove HDF conversion into iSGCs in SG culture medium (SGM). qPCR indicated significantly increased mRNA levels of the SG markers CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, and flow cytometry data demonstrated (4.18 ± 0.04)% of iSGCs were CK5 positive and (4.36 ± 0.25)% of iSGCs were CK18 positive. The addition of chemical cocktails greatly accelerated the SG fate program. qPCR results revealed significantly increased mRNA expression of CK5, CK18 and CEA in iSGCs, as well as activation of the duct marker CK10 and luminal functional marker AQP5. Flow cytometry indicated, after the treatment of chemical cocktails, (23.05 ± 2.49)% of iSGCs expressed CK5⁺ and (55.79 ± 3.18)% of iSGCs expressed CK18⁺, respectively. Calcium activity analysis indicated that the reactivity of iSGCs to acetylcholine was close to that of primary SG cells [(60.79 ± 7.71)% vs. (70.59 ± 0.34)%, ns]. In vivo transplantation experiments showed approximately (5.2 ± 1.1)% of the mice were sweat test positive, and the histological analysis results indicated that regenerated SG structures were present in iSGCs-treated mice.

CONCLUSION

We developed a SG reprogramming strategy to generate functional iSGCs from HDFs by using the single factor EDA in combination with SGM and small molecules. The generation of iSGCs has important implications for future in situ skin regeneration with SG restoration.

Wireless and Flexible Skin Moisture and Temperature Sensor Sheets toward the Study of Thermoregulator Center

A disorder in the thermoregulator center in a human body leads to some potential diseases such as fever and hyperthyroidism. To predict these diseases early, monitoring the health condition of the human body due to the influence of thermoregulation disorders is important. Although extensive works are performed on sweat-rate detection by constructing microfluidic channels, skin-moisture evaporation before sweating remains unknown. This work proposes a wireless and flexible sensor sheet to investigate the thermoregulatory responses of different people under cold stimulation and exercise by measuring the temperature and moisture variations on the finger skin. An integrated flexible sensor system consists of a ZnIn₂ S₄ nanosheet-based humidity sensor and carbon nanotube/SnO₂ temperature sensor. The results exhibit distinct thermoregulation abilities of five volunteers. Interestingly, the sudden increase in finger moisture that results from the excitation by the sympathetic nerve is observed during the cold-stimulus test. Although further studies are required to predict the potential diseases resulted from thermoregulation disorders in human body, this study provides a possibility of continuous and real-time monitoring of thermoregulatory activities via skin moisture and temperature detection using a flexible sensor sheet.

Using bioprinting and spheroid culture to create a skin model with sweat glands and hair follicles

Background

Sweat glands (SGs) and hair follicles (HFs) are two important cutaneous appendages that play crucial roles in homeostatic maintenance and thermoregulation, and their interaction is involved in wound healing. SGs can be regenerated from mesenchymal stem cell-laden 3D bioprinted scaffolds, based on our previous studies, whereas regeneration of HFs could not be achieved in the same model. Due to the lack of an in vitro model, the underlying molecular mechanism of the interaction between SGs and HFs in regeneration could not be fully understood. The purpose of the present study was to establish an in vitro model of skin constructs with SGs and HFs and explore the interaction between these two appendages in regeneration.

Methods

To investigate the interaction effects between SGs and HFs during their regeneration processes, a combined model was created by seeding HF spheroids on 3D printed SG scaffolds. The interaction between SG scaffolds and HF spheroids was detected using RNA expression and immunofluorescence staining. The effects of microenvironmental cues on SG and HF regeneration were analysed by altering seed cell types and plantar dermis homogenate in the scaffold.

Results

According to this model, we overcame the difficulties in simultaneously inducing SG and HF regeneration and explored the interaction effects between SG scaffolds and HF spheroids. Surprisingly, HF spheroids promoted both SG and HF differentiation in SG scaffolds, while SG scaffolds promoted SG differentiation but had little effect on HF potency in HF spheroids. Specifically, microenvironmental factors (plantar dermis homogenate) in SG scaffolds effectively promoted SG and HF genesis in HF spheroids, no matter what the seed cell type in SG scaffolds was, and the promotion effects were persistent.

Conclusions

Our approach elucidated a new model for SG and HF formation in vitro and provided an applicable platform to investigate the interaction between SGs and HFs in vitro. This platform might facilitate 3D skin constructs with multiple appendages and unveil the spatiotemporal molecular program of multiple appendage regeneration.