Swiss scientists have successfully grown lip cells in a "test tube"

The skin on the lips is actually more complex than the skin on other parts of the body, making it quite challenging to reproduce its primary cells under "laboratory conditions." However, a team from Bern University in Switzerland has succeeded.

For their research, the team took primary lip cells from two human donors (both had undergone treatment for lip injuries) and then used a retroviral vector to deactivate a gene that halts the cell's life cycle and alter the length of the telomeresTelomeres are segments of DNA composed of many repeats located at the ends of linear chromosomes. Their main role is to protect DNA. at the ends of each chromosome, thus extending the lifespan of the cells themselves.

The created cell lines were rigorously tested to ensure that their genetic code remains stable during replicationThe process of self-replication of nucleic acids, genes, and chromosomes. and retains the same characteristics as the primary cells; as well as confirming that the cells do not have anomalies akin to cancer. The scientists also verified that the cell lines behave like their unmodified primary counterparts regarding protein and mRNA production.

Finally, tests were conducted to visually demonstrate how the future experimental models would perform in the process of healing or treating infections: the cells closed wounds in 8 hours or less. Additionally, in subsequent 3D models, cells were infected with Candida albicans (which can cause serious infections in individuals with weakened immune systems or cleft lips) — as expected, the pathogen "invaded" the model just as it would in actual lip tissue.

In truth, if you think this new development will help "grow" fuller lips, you may be disappointed by the article — primarily, artificial lip cell cultivation will be useful for treating devastating injuries to the movable folds of the oral cavity.

Source: scimex