Skin Barrier Function
Skin Barrier Function - Related Videos
01:16
Sensory Functions of the Skin
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2025
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses. There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
07:18
Oral Gavage in Neonatal Mouse Pups and Functional Assessment of Gut Barrier Integrity Using Ussing Chambers
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2026
This article describes: (1) oral gavage delivery of test molecules to neonatal mice as early as DOL 6; and (2) ex vivo evaluation of colonic epithelial barrier function in biopsies from DOL 10 to weaning (DOL 20) pups by assessing paracellular and transcellular permeability with Ussing chambers.
08:36
Functional Neuroimaging Using Ultrasonic Blood-brain Barrier Disruption and Manganese-enhanced MRI
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Cited by 4 •
2012
A technique is described for broadly opening the blood-brain barrier in the mouse using microbubbles and ultrasound. Using this technique, manganese can be administered to the mouse brain. Because manganese is an MRI contrast agent that accumulates in depolarized neurons, this approach enables imaging of neuronal activity.
12:30
Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing for the Quantification of Endothelial Proliferation, Barrier Function, and Motility
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Cited by 213 •
2014
This protocol reviews Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing, a method to record and analyze the impedance spectrum of adherent cells for the quantification of cell attachment, proliferation, motility, and cellular responses to pharmacological and toxic stimuli. Detection of endothelial permeability and assessment of cell-cell and cell-substrate contacts are emphasized.
02:04
Generation of a Human Colonoid Monolayer with Barrier Function to Study Host–Pathogen Interactions
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2026
Source: In, J. G.,et al. Human Colonoid Monolayers to Study Interactions Between Pathogens, Commensals, and Host Intestinal Epithelium. J. Vis. Exp. (2019).This video demonstrates the procedure for culturing colon-derived epithelial cells on a collagen-coated Transwell system to generate a mucus-producing monolayer that models the intestinal barrier and enables host–pathogen interaction studies.
FAQs
Corneocytes provide a tough, keratin-filled cellular framework, while organized lipid layers occupy the spaces between these cells. This arrangement creates a coordinated barrier rather than relying on either component alone. Its biological importance lies in limiting transepidermal water loss while preserving the epidermis as a protective interface between underlying tissues and the external environment.
These components extend protection beyond the physical structure of the outer epidermis. Tight junctions help restrict passage between cells, antimicrobial molecules discourage pathogen survival, and immune cells contribute biological defense. Together, they create complementary layers of protection, so barrier function depends on structural control, chemical defenses, and immune activity rather than on the stratum corneum alone.
Barrier disruption can disturb water regulation and leave the skin more vulnerable to environmental exposure. The associated effects include increased dryness, inflammation, and susceptibility to infection. These outcomes demonstrate that epidermal integrity supports both local defense and broader homeostasis, linking changes at the skin surface with biological responses in underlying tissues.
By regulating water exchange with the environment, the epidermal barrier helps maintain conditions needed by underlying tissues. Its protective layers also reduce opportunities for pathogens to enter and interact with living tissue. When structural, chemical, or immune defenses weaken, the resulting water imbalance and inflammation can challenge homeostasis rather than merely producing a surface change.
Research on eczema and psoriasis examines how changes in epidermal integrity relate to dryness, inflammation, and increased vulnerability to infection. Skin barrier function provides a framework for connecting the outer epidermis with these disease-associated outcomes. This perspective can help investigators study whether preserving or restoring barrier properties is relevant to disease biology and treatment development.
Wound healing and aging are important contexts because both involve questions about maintaining or recovering epidermal integrity. Studying barrier function helps researchers consider how protection, water regulation, and defense against pathogens relate to these conditions. The resulting knowledge can inform investigations into how skin changes over time and how damaged epidermis may be supported.
Understanding the coordinated roles of corneocytes, lipid layers, tight junctions, antimicrobial molecules, and immune cells can guide efforts to preserve or restore epidermal integrity. Topical treatments and skincare products can therefore be studied in relation to barrier protection rather than appearance alone. This approach connects product development with reduced water loss, defense, and skin homeostasis.