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. 2026 Jan 13;36:e2601001. doi: 10.4014/jmb.2601.01001

Fig. 3. Skin ECM outperforms comparator supplements in inducing matrix-remodeling and hydration-gene programs in fibroblasts.

Fig. 3

(A) Representative brightfield images of human dermal fibroblasts cultured with soluble supplementation of skin ECM (25 μg/ml) and comparator set 1 ‒ ActivePep FG100 (2 μg/ml), ActivePep EF100 (2 μg/ml), retinyl palmitate (RP, 10 μg/ml), polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN, 25 μg/ml), rhCollagen (25 μg/ml) and VitroCol (25 μg/ml) on day 2 and day 4. Scale bar = 200 μm. (B) WST-8 assay comparing relative metabolic activity at day 4 in comparator set 1 versus skin ECM (concentrations as in (A), n = 3, *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 versus skin ECM). (C) qPCR analyses of HAS2, ELN, and FN1 mRNA expression in fibroblasts treated with comparator set 1 versus skin ECM (concentrations as in (A), n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 versus skin ECM). (D) Representative brightfield images of human dermal fibroblasts cultured with soluble supplementation of skin ECM (25 μg/ml) and comparator set 2 ‒ ethyl ascorbic acid (EAA, 25 μg/ml), vitamin E acetate (VEA, 25 μg/ml), human dermal fibroblast-derived exosome (HDF exosome, 1 × 105 particles/ml), Centella asiatica callus-derived extracellular vesicle (CAcEV, 1 × 105 particles/ml), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN, 1.6 mM) and adipose-derived stem cell conditioned medium (ADSC-CM, 5%) on day 2 and day 4. Scale bar = 200 μm. (E) WST-8 assay comparing relative metabolic activity at day 4 in comparator set 2 versus skin ECM (concentrations as in (D), n = 3, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ****p < 0.0001 versus skin ECM). (F) qPCR analyses of HAS2 and FN1 mRNA expression in fibroblasts treated with comparator set 2 versus skin ECM (concentrations as in (D), n = 3, ****p < 0.0001 versus skin ECM). Data are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test.