3D artificial sebocyte glands from inertial focusing effect for facile and flexible analysis of light damage and drug screening.

The sebaceous gland is a neuro-immuno-endocrine organ responsible for maintaining regular skin functions. Overdose exposure of UV and visible light (e.g., blue light) can cause sebocyte gland function disorders or even different diseases (e.g. chronic actinic dermatitis). Studying the mechanism of light-induced damage in sebaceous glands has been challenging, since ex vivo culture of sebaceous glands is difficult due to its short life in culture medium. To address this issue, we established a versatile 3D artificial sebocyte gland model using the inertial focusing effect for studying the impact of light damage and screening potential drugs. The artificial sebocyte gland exhibited specific biological function and structure similar to natural sebocyte glands. Using this artificial sebocyte gland, we studied the interactions between the artificial organ and blue light or UV.The results indicated that UV and blue light upregulated lipid secretion and downregulated cell viability within the sebocytes. Light damage intensified oxidative stress and promoted pro-inflammation cytokines (i.e., IL-1β and TNF-α) production in the artificial sebocytes. Additionally, we also indicated the therapeutic effects of cannabidiol, a clinically tested drug for treating acne, on restoring light damaged sebaceous gland functions. These results indicate that the 3D artificial sebocyte gland could be a versatile, fast, and low-cost platform for skincare studies or drug screening. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.