ABSTRACT
Advances in technology and a movement toward reduced animal testing have spurred the development of alternative methods for determining skin irritation, sensitization, and efficacy of cosmetic products. The first generation of tissueengineered epidermal equivalents are simple cultures that are easy to produce and permit efficient screening of the irritation potential of large quantities of molecules. However, it was recently demonstrated that the response of skinequivalent systems to topically applied consumer products is influenced not only by epithelium but also by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions [1].
