M. L. Vázquez-González¹, G. Rodríguez¹, M. Cócerra¹, R. Saldaña¹, L. Barbosa-Barros¹*, O. López²
*Corresponding author
1. Bicosome SL, Barcelona, Spain
2. IQAC-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

The development of products able to interact with the skin reinforcing the skin lipid structure is key for an effective treatment. This work shows the capacity of a bicosome system to penetrate the skin and refill the lipid matrix, acting as a biomimetic filler of new bilayer structures. The results of the in vivo study show that bicosomes improve the skin’s barrier function, as well as the elasticity and firmness in both healthy and impaired skin and provide a long-lasting, seven-day effect. This shows that bicosomes can be effective for maintaining the skin’s barrier function and for recovering the healthy conditions of skin damaged by internal or external factors.

INTRODUCTION

The skin’s natural lipid matrix is organised in lipid bilayers, which are responsible for the skin’s barrier function. Several skin disorders are characterised or caused by defects in the skin’s lipid bilayer arrangement. The conservation and reinforcement of the skin’s lipid architecture is vital for maintaining healthy skin (1). Moreover, when the skin’s barrier function is reinforced, it has a positive impact on other skin processes, optimising skin functions and slowing ageing (2).

Bicosome is a new lipid delivery platform formed by two different lipid assemblies: internal disc structures and  external lipid vesicles (3). This system is able to modulate the skin’s barrier function without damaging the tissue, and penetrate the skin, targeting specific skin layers, delivering the active ingredients where they are needed. After delivery, the structures of bicosomes are integrated into the skin’s lipid structure, thus reinforcing the tissue.

In this work, we study a bicosome system developed to target the intermediate layers of the stratum corneum (SC). This system is solely composed of lipids structured in bi ...