Effects of air pollution and UV irradiation in ageing skin

Environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and air pollution has long been implicated in skin disorders and aberrant pigment production. However, there are limited studies on their effects on ageing skin. In this study, we designed and applied novel in vitro and in vivo models to investigate 1) how exposure to UVR and particulate matter affect skin ageing and 2) how the aged skin responds to such environmental insults. From 2D co-cultures of melanocytes and keratinocytes, we demonstrated that pigment transfer and uptake was increased in treated cells, and even more so if senescence was induced prior to treatment. Attempts at 3D co-cultures were met with varied success, and further optimisation is required. Finally, our inducible premature senescence mouse model was designed to validate our in vitro findings. Preliminary investigations showed lesser melanin production in the mutant as compared to the wild type mice. This unexpected finding further illustrated the need for reliable mouse models for pigmentation studies. The knowledge gleaned from our findings will aid in future investigations to identify important players in the molecular pathways involving pigment production, and guide us towards effective targeting of pigmentation disorders caused by the combinatory effects of extrinsic and intrinsic players.Bachelor of Science in Biological Science