Clinical application of a tissue-cultured skin autograft: an alternative for the treatment of non-healing or slowly healing wounds?

BACKGROUND

The treatment regime of non-healing or slowly healing wounds is constantly improving. One aspect is surgical defect coverage whereby mesh grafts and keratinocyte suspension are applied.

OBJECTIVE

Tissue-cultured skin autografts may be an alternative for the treatment of full-thickness wounds and wounds that cover large areas of the body surface.

METHODS

Autologous epidermal and dermal cells were isolated, expanded in vitro and seeded on collagen-elastin scaffolds. The developed autograft was immunohistochemically characterized and subsequently transplanted onto a facial chronic ulceration of a 71-year-old patient with vulnerable atrophic skin.

RESULTS

Characterization of the skin equivalent revealed comparability to healthy human skin due to the epidermal strata, differentiation and proliferation markers. Within 138 days, the skin structure at the transplantation site closely correlated with the adjacent undisturbed skin.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrates the comparability of the developed organotypic skin equivalent to healthy human skin and the versatility for clinical applications.