Successful Construction of Next-Generation Artificial Skin Model with Blood Vessels Possessing Cellular Diversity - Invented a New Aging Care Theory Focusing on Cellular Diversity Creating Skin Elasticity
Rohto Pharmaceutical and Tokyo Women's Medical University have developed a next-generation artificial skin model that reproduces cellular diversity. This model demonstrated improved skin barrier functions and the mechanism of Vitamin C's efficacy, paving the way for advanced, cruelty-free cosmetic and pharmaceutical development.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 18:16 (126h 44m after Collected)
Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, President: Hidetoshi Seki), in a joint research project with Professor Tatsuya Shimizu of the Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University, has successfully constructed a next-generation artificial skin with blood vessels that autonomously reproduces the complex 'cellular diversity' of human skin.
In this model, the research team cultivated fibroblast and pericyte-like cell populations specific to human skin, which were difficult to maintain using conventional culture methods, and succeeded in achieving skin barrier functions and elasticity close to those of a living body. Furthermore, they partially elucidated the mechanism by which Vitamin C improves skin aging signs via perivascular cells. This achievement is expected to accelerate the development of next-generation skincare products and pharmaceuticals as an ethical and highly accurate evaluation system replacing animal testing.
This research result was published in the online scientific journal 'EMBO Reports' (April 1st issue).
Figure 1. By adding blood vessels, an artificial skin that highly reproduces the diversity of human dermal mesenchymal cells and their functions was developed.
1. Points of Research Results
- Developed artificial skin that reproduces the diversity of dermal cells similar to a living body by co-culturing with vascular endothelial cells.
- Discovered that the skin's barrier function and elasticity improve with the emergence of cellular diversity.
- Discovered that the improving effects of Vitamin C on skin barrier function and skin elasticity are enhanced in skin with cellular diversity.
2. Background of the Research
Cells composing the skin, such as epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, have been broadly classified by their shape and function. In recent years, as a result of the development of technologies like single-cell gene expression analysis, it has become clear that there are functional and characteristic differences, which can be called individuality, in each cell classified into the same species. Interestingly, it has been revealed that the individuality of dermal mesenchymal cells is lost with aging, and it is beginning to be considered an important factor in skin aging and diseases. However, because conventional cell culture technology could not reproduce or analyze such cellular diversity, it was difficult to prove the relationship with aging or construct care theories. Furthermore, in response to the global trend of reducing animal testing, highly advanced alternative testing methods that can mimic the complexity of living organisms are required.
Therefore, in this study, thinking that blood vessels play an important role in maintaining cellular diversity, we set out to construct an artificial skin model that reproduces human cellular diversity by constructing artificial skin with blood vessels. Furthermore, by comparing the presence or absence of blood vessels in artificial skin, we investigated how cellular diversity supported by blood vessels affects the skin.
3. Results
- Construction of artificial skin reproducing the diversity of dermal mesenchymal cells by introducing vascular endothelial cells
General artificial skin is a two-layer model of epidermis and dermis, consisting of two types of cells: epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. First, the research team constructed an artificial skin model with a vascular structure using three types of cells: epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and umbilical cord-derived vascular endothelial cells (Figure 1). Next, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was performed on the cells contained in the constructed artificial skin to evaluate the properties and diversity of the cells in the dermis. The dermis of living human skin contains diverse fibroblasts and pericytes, but cells flatly cultured for research had lost their diversity. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the diversity distribution pattern of fibroblasts and pericytes in the constructed artificial skin was very similar to that of living human skin (Figure 2). This result indicates that the three-dimensional environment and intercellular interaction between blood vessels and skin play an important role in reproducing the cellular heterogeneity of fibroblasts and pericytes, which was conventionally considered difficult.
Figure 2. Comparison of dermal mesenchymal cell diversity between human skin and artificial skin by single-cell RNA sequencing
- Improvement of skin barrier function and dermal elasticity by introducing vascular endothelial cells
Next, the functionality of the artificial skin was compared depending on the presence or absence of blood vessels. As a result, improvements were observed due to the addition of blood vessels in terms of the skin's moisturizing barrier function, the turnover function, which plays an important role in transparency, etc., and the skin's elasticity related to wrinkles and sagging (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Functional changes in artificial skin models due to the introduction of blood vessels
- The effects of Vitamin C on improving turnover and skin elasticity are enhanced in artificial skin with blood vessels
Furthermore, the reactivity to Vitamin C of the artificial skin was compared depending on the presence or absence of blood vessels. As a result, it was confirmed that the usefulness of Vitamin C in the skin's moisturizing barrier function, the turnover function related to transparency, and the skin's elasticity related to wrinkles and sagging is enhanced by the addition of blood vessels (Figure 4).
Figure 4. [Incomplete in source]
4. Future Prospects
This research...
In this model, the research team cultivated fibroblast and pericyte-like cell populations specific to human skin, which were difficult to maintain using conventional culture methods, and succeeded in achieving skin barrier functions and elasticity close to those of a living body. Furthermore, they partially elucidated the mechanism by which Vitamin C improves skin aging signs via perivascular cells. This achievement is expected to accelerate the development of next-generation skincare products and pharmaceuticals as an ethical and highly accurate evaluation system replacing animal testing.
This research result was published in the online scientific journal 'EMBO Reports' (April 1st issue).
Figure 1. By adding blood vessels, an artificial skin that highly reproduces the diversity of human dermal mesenchymal cells and their functions was developed.
1. Points of Research Results
- Developed artificial skin that reproduces the diversity of dermal cells similar to a living body by co-culturing with vascular endothelial cells.
- Discovered that the skin's barrier function and elasticity improve with the emergence of cellular diversity.
- Discovered that the improving effects of Vitamin C on skin barrier function and skin elasticity are enhanced in skin with cellular diversity.
2. Background of the Research
Cells composing the skin, such as epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, have been broadly classified by their shape and function. In recent years, as a result of the development of technologies like single-cell gene expression analysis, it has become clear that there are functional and characteristic differences, which can be called individuality, in each cell classified into the same species. Interestingly, it has been revealed that the individuality of dermal mesenchymal cells is lost with aging, and it is beginning to be considered an important factor in skin aging and diseases. However, because conventional cell culture technology could not reproduce or analyze such cellular diversity, it was difficult to prove the relationship with aging or construct care theories. Furthermore, in response to the global trend of reducing animal testing, highly advanced alternative testing methods that can mimic the complexity of living organisms are required.
Therefore, in this study, thinking that blood vessels play an important role in maintaining cellular diversity, we set out to construct an artificial skin model that reproduces human cellular diversity by constructing artificial skin with blood vessels. Furthermore, by comparing the presence or absence of blood vessels in artificial skin, we investigated how cellular diversity supported by blood vessels affects the skin.
3. Results
- Construction of artificial skin reproducing the diversity of dermal mesenchymal cells by introducing vascular endothelial cells
General artificial skin is a two-layer model of epidermis and dermis, consisting of two types of cells: epidermal keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts. First, the research team constructed an artificial skin model with a vascular structure using three types of cells: epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and umbilical cord-derived vascular endothelial cells (Figure 1). Next, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was performed on the cells contained in the constructed artificial skin to evaluate the properties and diversity of the cells in the dermis. The dermis of living human skin contains diverse fibroblasts and pericytes, but cells flatly cultured for research had lost their diversity. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the diversity distribution pattern of fibroblasts and pericytes in the constructed artificial skin was very similar to that of living human skin (Figure 2). This result indicates that the three-dimensional environment and intercellular interaction between blood vessels and skin play an important role in reproducing the cellular heterogeneity of fibroblasts and pericytes, which was conventionally considered difficult.
Figure 2. Comparison of dermal mesenchymal cell diversity between human skin and artificial skin by single-cell RNA sequencing
- Improvement of skin barrier function and dermal elasticity by introducing vascular endothelial cells
Next, the functionality of the artificial skin was compared depending on the presence or absence of blood vessels. As a result, improvements were observed due to the addition of blood vessels in terms of the skin's moisturizing barrier function, the turnover function, which plays an important role in transparency, etc., and the skin's elasticity related to wrinkles and sagging (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Functional changes in artificial skin models due to the introduction of blood vessels
- The effects of Vitamin C on improving turnover and skin elasticity are enhanced in artificial skin with blood vessels
Furthermore, the reactivity to Vitamin C of the artificial skin was compared depending on the presence or absence of blood vessels. As a result, it was confirmed that the usefulness of Vitamin C in the skin's moisturizing barrier function, the turnover function related to transparency, and the skin's elasticity related to wrinkles and sagging is enhanced by the addition of blood vessels (Figure 4).
Figure 4. [Incomplete in source]
4. Future Prospects
This research...