Department of Global Personal Care and Skin Health R&D, Colgate-Palmolive Company, New Jersey, USA.
Orion Concept-Technolab, Tours, France.
Skin Res Technol. 2022 May;28(3):419-426. doi: 10.1111/srt.13140. Epub 2022 Mar 14.
There is scarcity of imaging and image processing techniques for accurate discrimination and quantitation of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM), primarily collagen. The aim of this study was to develop and demonstrate a holistic imaging and image processing approach to visualize and quantify collagen remodeling at the macro-, micro- and nano-scale using histochemical imaging, Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), respectively.
For proof-of-concept, a commercial anti-aging product known to induce collagen neo-synthesis and re-organization was tested ex vivo on human skin biopsies from two aged females.
Relative to untreated skin, collagen fibers (RCM) and fibrils (AFM) were longer and aligned after treatment. The content of collagen and elastin (histochemical imaging and ELISA) statistically improved after treatment.
Based on our findings, we can conclude: (1) AFM, RCM, and histochemical imaging can accurately discriminate collagen from other ECM components in the skin and (2) the image processing methods can enable quantitation and hence capture small improvements in collagen remodeling after treatment (commercial cosmetic product with collagen organizer technology as proof-of-concept). The reported holistic imaging approach has direct clinical implications for scientists and dermatologists to make quick, real-time, and accurate decisions in skin research and diagnostics.
目前缺乏用于准确区分和定量皮肤细胞外基质（ECM），尤其是胶原蛋白的成像和图像处理技术。本研究旨在开发并展示一种整体成像和图像处理方法，分别使用组织化学成像、反射共聚焦显微镜（RCM）和原子力显微镜（AFM）来可视化和量化宏观、微观和纳米尺度的胶原重塑。
为了验证概念，我们在两名老年女性的人体皮肤活检标本上，对一种已知可诱导胶原蛋白新生和重组的商业抗老化产品进行了体外测试。
与未经处理的皮肤相比，治疗后胶原纤维（RCM）和原纤维（AFM）更长且更规则。组织化学成像和 ELISA 检测的胶原蛋白和弹性蛋白含量在治疗后有显著改善。
基于我们的发现，可以得出以下结论：（1）AFM、RCM 和组织化学成像可以准确区分皮肤中胶原蛋白和其他 ECM 成分；（2）图像处理方法可以实现定量分析，从而捕捉到治疗后胶原重塑的微小改善（以具有胶原蛋白组织化技术的商业化妆品产品作为概念验证）。所报道的整体成像方法对科学家和皮肤科医生具有直接的临床意义，使他们能够在皮肤研究和诊断中快速、实时、准确地做出决策。
