Chronic inflammation induced by microneedling and the use of bone marrow stem cell cytokines

Abstract

Physicians advocating the frequent use of microneedling for skin care are advocating for a potentially dangerous procedure, especially when coupled with the topical application of bone marrow stem cell derived cytokines. Not only are the physicians who advocate for frequent microneedling as a skin care procedure not Board Certified in Dermatology (FAAD or FAOCD), they are not dermatologist; rather they are family practitioners. Further, they don't have M.D. or D.O. medical doctorate degrees, rather they have truncated bachelor in medicine degrees with limited education and training. Unlike board certified dermatologists, these physicians simply have neither a deep knowledge of dermatology, nor knowledge of the immunology of the skin. These physicians have developed and promulgated books, blogs, and training classes for these procedures that are offered to non-physicians, often to estheticians. Advocating the frequent use of microneedling for skin care, especially when coupled with the topical application of bone marrow stem cell derived cytokines induces a damaging chronic inflammatory state in the skin, and likely systemic inflammation too. Microneedling of the skin, even under sterile conditions, elicits a sterile inflammatory response, including early recruitment of neutrophils, throughout the layers of the skin, and even systemically. Given the non-sterile nature of the skin, a rich microbiome, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, at the skin's surface, these procedures may allow microneedling to cause these microorganisms to gain entry into the epidermis and dermis, furthering an inflammatory response already induced by the wound and associated inflammatogenic self-molecules. The use of bone marrow stem cell cytokines can amplify the inflammatory response induced by injury, instead of resolving the inflammation such as that by the pro-resolving effects induced by adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells and fibroblasts acquired from skin tissue.

Keywords: Immune system; Microneedling; Skin inflammation; Systemic inflammation.