Strengthening the Skin with Topical Delivery of Keratinocyte Growth Factor-1 Using a Novel DNA Plasmid

In the 2014 study, researchers explored a new method to strengthen skin by topically applying a DNA plasmid that delivers keratinocyte growth factor-1 (KGF-1). The study, likely conducted on animal models, demonstrated that the KGF-1 DNA plasmid increased KGF-1 mRNA and protein production, resulting in a significant increase in epithelial thickness (26±2 µm compared to 16±4 µm in the control group) and a tendency for increased dermal thickness (255±36 µm compared to 162±16 µm in the control group). Biomechanical tests showed that the KGF-1-treated skin was stronger than the control. These findings suggest that the topical delivery of KGF-1 DNA plasmid could be a potential treatment to enhance the durability of compromised skin. The number of participants or subjects was not specified in the summary.