Abstract
Skin barrier function (SBF) disorders are a class of pathologies which affect a significant portion of the world population. These disorders cause skin lesions with intense itch, impacting patients’ physical and psychological well-being, as well as their social functioning. It is in the interest of patients that their disorder be monitored closely while under treatment, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the ongoing therapy and any potential adverse reactions. Symptom-based assessment techniques are widely used by clinicians; however, they carry some limitations. Techniques to assess skin barrier impairment are critical for understanding the nature of the disease and for helping personalize treatment.
This review recalls the anatomy of the skin barrier and describes an atomic-force microscopy approach to quantitatively monitor its disorders and their response to treatment. We review a panel of studies which show that this technique is highly relevant for SBF disorder research, and we aim to motivate its adoption into clinical settings.
This review recalls the anatomy of the skin barrier and describes an atomic-force microscopy approach to quantitatively monitor its disorders and their response to treatment. We review a panel of studies which show that this technique is highly relevant for SBF disorder research, and we aim to motivate its adoption into clinical settings.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Journal of Investigative Dermatology |
Volume | 144 |
Issue number | 10 |
Pages (from-to) | 2136-2144 |
ISSN | 0022-202X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Keywords
- Atomic-force microscopy
- Atopic dermatitis
- Corneocyte morphology
- Skin barrier function