Oral mucosa: an alternative epidermic cell source to develop autologous dermal-epidermal substitutes from diabetic subjects

Abstract

Oral mucosa has been highlighted as a suitable source of epidermal cells due to its intrinsic characteristics such as its higher proliferation rate and its obtainability. Diabetic ulcers have a worldwide prevalence that is variable (1%-11%), meanwhile treatment of this has been proven ineffective. Tissue-engineered skin plays an important role in wound care focusing on strategies such autologous dermal-epidermal substitutes. Objective The aim of this study was to obtain autologous dermal-epidermal skin substitutes from oral mucosa from diabetic subjects as a first step towards a possible clinical application for cases of diabetic foot.Material and Methods Oral mucosa was obtained from diabetic and healthy subjects (n=20 per group). Epidermal cells were isolated and cultured using autologous fibrin to develop dermal-epidermal in vitro substitutes by the air-liquid technique with autologous human serum as a supplement media. Substitutes were immunocharacterized with collagen IV and cytokeratin 5-14 as specific markers. A Student´s t- test was performed to assess the differences between both groups.Results It was possible to isolate epidermal cells from the oral mucosa of diabetic and healthy subjects and develop autologous dermal-epidermal skin substitutes using autologous serum as a supplement. Differences in the expression of specific markers were observed and the cytokeratin 5-14 expression was lower in the diabetic substitutes, and the collagen IV expression was higher in the diabetic substitutes when compared with the healthy group, showing a significant difference.Conclusion Cells from oral mucosa could be an alternative and less invasive source for skin substitutes and wound healing. A difference in collagen production of diabetic cells suggests diabetic substitutes could improve diabetic wound healing. More research is needed to determine the crosstalk between components of these skin substitutes and damaged tissues.

New Gene Markers for Metabolic Processes and Homeostasis in Porcine Buccal Pouch Mucosa during Cells Long Term-Cultivation—A Primary Culture Approach

“…During harvesting it has been proven to produce less disability, and provides better aesthetic outcome [ 11 , 12 ]. As shown by Guzman-Uribe et al, it is possible to develop dermal-epidermal substitutes from the isolation of cells from oral mucosa for diabetic and healthy subjects using the air-liquid technique [ 13 ]. Nevertheless, the dynamic behavior of oral mucosa tissues remain not well understood.…”

Photobiomodulation in the Metabolism of Lipopolysaccharides‐exposed Epithelial Cells and Gingival Fibroblasts

“…These characteristics are derived from the type of tissue; the oral mucosa demands a rapid repair process, presenting a higher vascularity and presence of a growth factor such as EGF in abundance, whereas in the skin the need to form a thick corneal layer requires a greater differentiation of this cellular type . Due to these peculiar characteristics, it has been proposed the use of oral mucosa keratinocytes in dermal wound grafts because of their similarity to skin cells, however with the advantage of a high proliferative rate, high collagen IV synthesis in addition to a good esthetic result .…”

Descriptive proteomics of paired human vocal fold and buccal mucosa tissue

“…Its structure and function differs slightly, depending on location and anatomy [ 12 ]. The buccal mucosa (BM) is of specific interest for laryngological research, as the tissue harvesting process is less invasive than of VF mucosa and is accompanied with faster healing and less scarring [ 10 , 12 , 13 ]. Furthermore, its characteristics as a non‐keratinized squamous tissue, which is comparable to VF epithelium, makes it an interesting candidate for in vitro applications.…”