Work

Transient skin stretching stimulates immune surveillance and promotes vaccine delivery via hair follicles

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Upon tissue injury, skin mechano-sensing promotes immune defense and return to homeostasis. However, the impact of acute skin stretching, such as skin rubbing, is poorly understood. Using a model of transient skin stretching, we show that a single instance of skin tension modification induces collagen fiber re-orientation, mechano-transduction in stromal cells, inflammatory mediator production, and immune cell recruitment to the skin. At the same time, skin stretching increases skin permeability without tissue damage via the opening of hair follicles. Furthermore, stretch-induced skin changes lead to the activation and migration of dermal dendritic cells through exposure to skin microbiota-derived compounds. Finally, we harness acute skin stretching to enable needle-free vaccine delivery, promoting antigen accumulation in the lymph nodes and producing a superior response compared to intramuscular injection. Our results shed light on the role of mechanical stimuli in fine-tuning skin immune surveillance and have important implications for drug delivery and mechanobiology.

Source: Cell Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116224

Authors: Faiza Benaouda, Darawan Tabtim-On, Chui Hua Lim, Mazen M.S. Aly, Renaud Leclere, Daniel Sebastia-Saez, Mathilde Rieux-Laucat, Sara Nasereddin, Rikhav Gala, Konstantin Musiychuk, Mohamed A. Alhnan, Liang Cui, Tao Chen, Carsten Flohr, Stuart A. Jones, Elodie Segura

Institutions: King's College London, Inserm, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Institut Curie, University of Surrey, Amman Arab University, Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Language: English

Topic: Advancements in Transdermal Drug Delivery

Subfield: Pharmaceutical Science

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $5,620

Funders: Joint Programming Initiative A healthy diet for a healthy life, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, H2020 European Research Council

Awards: G1435997383, G247725458, Paris Sciences et Lettres, G4190806336, G471331628, Bordeaux Region Aquitaine Initiative for Neuroscience, Engineering a topical hypobaric patch: A needle-free solution for biopharmaceutical drug administration into the skin, G6430082283, G6759105742, G683439542, Engineering a topical hypobaric patch: A needle-free solution for biopharmaceutical drug administration into the skin, G7240651115, Preventing peanut allergy through improved understanding of the transcutaneous sensitisation route, novel food processing and skin care adaptations, G782245399

OpenAlex ID: W4414281203

FWCI:

Cites: 54

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