Dermal-Epidermal Cross-Talk: Differential Interactions With Microvascular Endothelial Cells

The study demonstrated that human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) enhanced the viability and proliferation of microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC), whereas HMVEC did not stimulate NHDF proliferation. Using triculture setups, the researchers found that conditioned media from cocultures (HMVEC/NHDF or HMVEC/follicle fibroblasts) differentially influenced the growth and proliferation of keratinocytes and modified the expression of metabolic and pro-inflammatory markers. This approach provided valuable insights into dermal-epithelial and endothelial interactions, suggesting that tricultures could complement ex vivo and in vivo methods through high-throughput and standardized protocols under controlled conditions.