Cetaceans harbor multiple epibionts on their external surface, and these attach to particular microhabitats. Understanding what drives the selection of attachment sites is relevant for refining the use of epibionts as indicators of their hosts. We report on about 100 females of the mesoparasitic copepod Pennella balaenoptera attached to a dead Cuvier\'s beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris stranded in Tunisia (western Mediterranean); the first report of P. balaenoptera in this country. The copepods were exclusively attached to numerous incisive, likely anthropogenic, wounds found on the host\'s skin. This finding suggests that newly recruited females may actively seek skin areas where physical penetration is facilitated; a factor that may help explain patterns of microhabitat selection by Pennella spp., and perhaps other pennellids, on their hosts. The estimated age of parasitization by P. balaenoptera (supported by age estimations of the co-occurring epibiotic barnacle Conchoderma virgatum) also suggests that the cetacean host likely survived these injuries, at least initially, and the presumed cause of death was starvation due to entanglement in a fishing net.

Currently, exosomes showed appropriate potential in the repair of skin injury. However, the functions of the exosomes could be compromised rapidly due to their short half-life and high clearance rate in vivo. In addition, the controlled release of effective concentrations of exosomes could increase the utilization efficiency of exosomes in wound healing. Accordingly, the design of an effective system for the controlled delivery of exosomes during the wound treatment period was necessary. In this contribution, we designed a novel exosome-based multifunctional nanocomposite platform with photothermal-controlled release performance for the repair of skin injury. Based on the agarose hydrogel, two-dimensional Ti3C2 (Ti3C2 MXene) and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hucMSC)-derived exosomes, the as-prepared platform (i.e., hucMSC-derived exosome/Ti3C2 MXene hydrogel) was synthesized for the first time. Apart from possessing injectability, the hucMSC-derived exosome/Ti3C2 MXene hydrogel utilized the excellent photothermal effect of Ti3C2 MXene and proper phase transition performance of agarose hydrogel to provide a photothermal-controlled release system for the hucMSC-derived exosomes, which was beneficial for the personalized on-demand drug delivery. Importantly, the hucMSC-derived exosomes maintained their inherent structure and activity after being released from the Ti3C2 MXene hydrogel. Additionally, the as-prepared hydrogel with multifunctional performance also presented remarkable biocompatibility and photothermal-antibacterial property, and could efficiently accelerate wound healing by promoting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and reducing the level of inflammation at the wound site. The results suggested that the exosome-based multifunctional nanocomposite platform with great potential for wound healing would make significant advances in the revolution of traditional treatment methods in skin injury.

Estrogen is imperative to mammalian reproductivity, metabolism, and aging. However, the hormone activating estrogen receptor (ERs) α can cause major safety concerns due to the enrichment of ERα in female tissues and certain malignancies. In contrast, ERβ is more broadly expressed in metabolic tissues and the skin. Thus, it is desirable to generate selective ERβ agonist conjugates for maximizing the therapeutic effects of ERs while minimizing the risks of ERα activation. Here, we report the design and production of small molecule conjugates containing selective non-steroid ERβ agonists Gtx878 or genistein. Treatment of aged mice with our synthesized conjugates improved aging-associated declines in insulin sensitivity, visceral adipose integrity, skeletal muscle function, and skin health, with validation in vitro. We further uncovered the benefits of ERβ conjugates in the skin using two inducible skin injury mouse models, showing increased skin basal cell proliferation, epidermal thickness, and wound healing. Therefore, our ERβ-selective agonist conjugates offer novel therapeutic potential to improve aging-associated conditions and aid in rejuvenating skin health.

Black Phosphorus (BP) is a new semiconductor material with excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and optical and electrophysical properties. A growing number of studies show that BP has high potential applications in the biomedical field. This article aims to systematically review the research progress of BP composite medical materials in the field of tissue engineering, mining BP in bone regeneration, skin repair, nerve repair, inflammation, treatment methods, and the application mechanism. Furthermore, the paper discusses the shortcomings and future recommendations related to the development of BP. These shortcomings include stability, photothermal conversion capacity, preparation process, and other related issues. However, despite these challenges, the utilization of BP-based medical materials holds immense promise in revolutionizing the field of tissue repair.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical force skin injuries are common for critical care patients, especially neonates. Currently, identification and severity assessments of injuries are dependent on clinical experience and/or utilization of severity tools. Compared with adults, neonates sustain skin injuries in different anatomical locations and have decreased layers of healthy tissue (from 0.9 to 1.2 mm) creating questions around direct application of adult injury severity scales reliant on visual assessment.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scoping review (ScR) was to investigate severity scales used to report hospital acquired skin injuries for neonates.
METHODS: This study utilized the 2015 Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews extension. PubMed, CINAHL, COCHRANE Central, Scopus, and the reference lists of included studies were searched for studies published between 2001 and 2023, that included severity scales use within neonatal population. Two authors independently identified studies for full review, data extraction, and quality assessment.
RESULTS: A systematic database search returned 1163 records. After full test review of 109 studies, 35 studies were included. A majority of studies included were cohort or action research and conducted in the United States of America. Most studies (57%, n = 20) reported skin injuries acquired throughout the body, 14 (40%) of the studies reported the nasal area alone and one study reported no anatomical location. A total of nine severity scales or combination of scales were utilized within studies (n = 31) and four studies did not report a scale. Various versions of scales from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (n = 16), European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (n = 8) or Neonatal Skin Condition Score (n = 4) were reported, compared with locally developed classifications/scales (n = 4). Scales were predominantly of ordinal grouping (74%, n = 26) or categorical assessment (14%, n = 5). Only one scale from 2004 was validated for neonates.
CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal skin injuries will continue to be reported subjectively until severity scales are consistently applied or other measurements are identified to support assessment. Additionally, without skin injury assessment uniformity, critical examination of effectiveness of skin care treatment practices will have subjective comparison. This review suggests there is a need for consistent skin assessment and severity scales that are valid for the neonatal population and their unique skin considerations.

Managing chronic wounds can be challenging and have a major impact on the quality of life, due to the significant financial and psychosocial burden on the affected individuals and their families. The need for safe, effective, and cost-efficient wound healing remedies has led to the identification of naturally occurring bioactive compounds with positive effects on tissue regeneration. Berry fruits are a promising source of such compounds and may therefore prove distinctively beneficial. Here, we present a qualitative review of the available evidence specifically investigating the effects of berry extracts on in vitro and in vivo models of wound healing. The evidence shows that a variety of berry extracts significantly promote wound healing through their antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties as well as their ability to stimulate collagen synthesis, re-epithelization, granulation, and vascularization pathways. However, data are still insufficient to pinpoint the differential effect that individual berries may have based on their nutrient and bioactive profile, the type and frequency of application, and the dosage required. Future research is needed in view of translating the available evidence into practice for clinical wound treatment.

Skin injury and dermatitis are common complications following chemotherapy and radiation administration for cancer treatment. Symptomatic relief of these complications is limited to slow-acting therapies and often results in holding or modifying cancer therapy that may impact patient outcomes. The off-label use of oral high dose vitamin D3 has demonstrated rapid clinical improvement in skin inflammation and swelling in both chemotherapy and radiation-induced injury. Furthermore, vitamin D3 has been shown to downregulate pro-inflammatory pathways and cytokines, including NFkB, and CCL2, as well as CCL20, which are not only involved in tissue injury, but may confer resistance to cancer treatment. In this paper, we discuss 2 patients with acute radiation dermatitis and acute radiation recall dermatitis following chemotherapy who received 50 000 - 100 000 IU of oral high dose vitamin D3 with improvement in their symptoms. These findings may indicate the potential use of vitamin D as a therapeutic intervention and future target for studying skin healing following chemotherapy and/ or radiation-induced cutaneous toxicity.

Scar formation is a normal response to skin injuries. During the scar-remodeling phase, scar tissue is usually replaced with normal, functional tissue. However, after deep burn injuries, the scar tissue may persist and lead to contractures around joints, a condition known as hypertrophic scar tissue. Unfortunately, current treatment options for hypertrophic scars, such as surgery and pressure garments, often fail to prevent their reappearance. One of the primary challenges in treating hypertrophic scars is a lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying their formation. In this review, we critically analyze studies that have attempted to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind hypertrophic scar formation after severe burn injuries, as well as clinical trials conducted to treat post-burn hypertrophic scars. We found that most clinical trials used pressure garments, laser treatments, steroids, and proliferative inhibitors for hypertrophic scars, with outcomes measured using subjective scar scales. However, fundamental research using human burn injury biopsies has shown that pathways such as Transforming Growth factor β (TGFβ), Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) could be potentially regulated to reduce scarring. Therefore, we conclude that more testing is necessary to determine the efficacy of these molecular targets in reducing hypertrophic scarring. Specifically, double-blinded clinical trials are needed, where the outcomes can be measured with more robust quantitative molecular parameters.

Lewisite is a chemical warfare agent intended for use in World War and a potential threat to the civilian population due to presence in stockpiles or accidental exposure. Lewisite-mediated skin injury is characterized by acute erythema, pain, and blister formation. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an FDA-approved drug for acetaminophen toxicity, identified as a potential antidote against lewisite. In the present study, we have explored the feasibility of rapid NAC delivery through transdermal route for potentially treating chemical warfare toxicity. NAC is a small, hydrophilic molecule with limited passive delivery through the skin. Using skin microporation with dissolving microneedles significantly enhanced the delivery of NAC into and across dermatomed human skin in our studies. Microporation followed by application of solution (poke-and-solution) resulted in the highest in vitro delivery (509.84 ± 155.04 µg/sq·cm) as compared to poke-and-gel approach (474.91 ± 70.09 µg/sq·cm) and drug-loaded microneedles (226.89 ± 33.41 µg/sq·cm). The lag time for NAC delivery through poke-and-solution approach (0.23 ± 0.04 h) was close to gel application (0.25 ± 0.02 h), with the highest for drug-loaded microneedles (1.27 ± 1.16 h). Thus, we successfully demonstrated the feasibility of rapid NAC delivery using various skin microporation approaches for potential treatment against lewisite-mediated skin toxicity.

As the body\'s integumentary system, the skin is vulnerable to injuries. The subsequent wound healing processes aim to restore dermal and epidermal integrity and functionality. To this end, multiple tissue-resident cells and recruited immune cells cooperate to efficiently repair the injured tissue. Such temporally- and spatially-coordinated interplay necessitates tight regulation to prevent collateral damage such as overshooting immune responses and excessive inflammation. In this context, regulatory T cells (Tregs) hold a key role in balancing immune homeostasis and mediating cutaneous wound healing. A comprehensive understanding of Tregs\' multifaceted field of activity may help decipher wound pathologies and, ultimately, establish new treatment modalities. Herein, we review the role of Tregs in orchestrating the regeneration of skin adnexa and catalyzing healthy wound repair. Further, we discuss how Tregs operate during fibrosis, keloidosis, and scarring.