Supplementary files for "Marine-Derived Carboxymethyl Chitosan Promotes Epidermal Differentiation in Reconstructed Human Epidermis and Supports Barrier Recovery After Ablative Fractional CO₂ Laser: A Controlled Split-Face, Evaluator-Blinded Clinical Trial"
Year: 2026
Type: supplementary-materials
Abstract: Ablative fractional CO2 laser (AFCL) resurfaces photodamaged skin but induces barrier disruption, erythema, and prolonged downtime; Marine-derived carboxymethyl deacetylated chitosan (CMCS; commercial name MHA Micro) shows promise for barrier repair, yet controlled clinical evidence after laser ablation is limited. In vitro, SLS-damaged EpiKutis 3D reconstructed human epidermis was treated with 0.05% or 0.1% CMCS for 24 h, and live-cell thickness with loricrin (LOR)/keratin 1 (KRT1) expression was quantified by immunofluorescence. In a prospective, evaluator-blinded split-face trial, 31 subjects received AFCL; one hemiface was treated with 0.2% CMCS lotion and the contralateral with vehicle placebo, assessed at D0, D3, D7, and D14. In vitro, 0.1% CMCS increased live-cell thickness by 18.34% (p<0.01), LOR by 191.18% (p<0.01), and KRT1 by 101.96% (p<0.01) versus negative control. Clinically at D14, the CMCS zone showed greater hydration gain (+80.63% vs +42.44%), TEWL reduction (-27.50% vs -12.52%), and erythema attenuation (-26.66% vs -11.75%) (all p<0.001), with no adverse events. In vitro, CMCS promotes epidermal differentiation and up-regulates barrier-related proteins; in a split-face clinical trial, a CMCS-containing lotion supports barrier-related functional recovery after ablative fractional CO₂ laser in vivo.
Institution: Southwest University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Dermatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222703082