Skin[sup(2)]: An In Vitro Tissue Model for Assessment of Cutaneous Safety and Efficacy Needs

INTRODUCTION The consumer products, personal care, and chemical manufacturers industry of the 1990s will continue to evolve with technological advances that provide consumers with innovative products and, ultimately, exposure to new ingredients. As exposure to and experience with new ingredients and products occur, it will become increasingly important for the industry to respond with continued development and refinement of preclinical and clinical dermal safety assessments, especially new testing methods that replace or reduce use of animals. The challenge of providing an effective, reliable in vitro method for testing cutaneous safety and efficacy derives from the complex nature and function of the human skin (which involves elaborate interactions among the cells and other components of the dermis, epidermis, and epidermal-dermal interface).