All eukaryotes have lysosomes which contain hydrolytic enzymes such as protease to degrade waste materials and cellular fragments. As a cellular organelle, lysosomes function as the digestive system of the cell, serving both to degrade material taken up from outside the cell and to digest obsolete components of the cell itself. Conversely, melanin has photochemical functions to protect tissue from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. However, too much of melanin leads to problems such as hyperpigmentation, requiring materials to maintain and control the amount of melanin. In this study, we found evidence of correlation between lysosome and melanin in a new eco-friendly material, MelanoDerm, a reconstituted 3D human skin model containing normal melanocytes and keratinocytes. Melanin content assay and cell viability were measured, using 2% kojic acid as positive control, while MelanoDerm was exposed to various concentrations of lysosome. Our results indicate that lysosome may be a useful cosmetic agent for the treatment of hyperpigmentation.

所有的真核生物都具有溶酶体，其中的溶酶体含有水解酶，例如蛋白酶，可以降解废物和细胞碎片。作为细胞器，溶酶体起细胞的消化系统的作用，既能降解从细胞外吸收的物质，又能消化细胞本身过时的成分。相反，黑色素具有光化学功能，可以保护组织免受紫外线的有害影响。但是，过多的黑色素会导致色素沉着等问题，需要维持和控制黑色素含量的材料。在这项研究中，我们在新型环保材料MelanoDerm中发现了溶酶体和黑色素之间的相关关系，MelanoDerm是一种重构的3D人皮肤模型，其中包含正常的黑素细胞和角质形成细胞。测定黑色素含量测定和细胞活力，使用2％曲酸作为阳性对照，而MelanoDerm则暴露于各种浓度的溶酶体中。我们的结果表明，溶酶体可能是治疗色素沉着过度的有用美容剂。