Acellular Fish Skin Grafts and Pig Urinary Bladder Matrix Assessed in the Collagen-Induced Arthritis Mouse Model

Abstract

Basic and Experimental Science Cellular-and tissue-based products (CTPs) are used in the treatment of wounds of various etiologies. 1-3 CTPs are typically decellularized and virally inactivated, leaving behind the structural elements of connective tissue, mainly collagens. Most CTPs are composed of type I collagen, but some CTPs also contain other collagen types. One CTP example is porcine urinary bladder matrix that contains numerous collagens. 4 The majority of contemporary CTPs are mammalian in origin. Concerns exist regarding collagen's potential to provoke autoimmune responses. 5-10 In addition to possible autoimmune responses, other disadvantages associated with mammalian-derived matrices are the potential of transmission of prion and viral diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, 11 as well as cultural and religious objections. 12,13 Fish skin grafts from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) do not pose a risk of disease transmission as do mammalian CTPs. 14 Because of the use of fish skin products in the food industry, there is an abundance of studies on the specific allergens contained in fish skin and on the composition of extracted collagens. 15-17 The introduction of foreign proteins in a test subject can trigger an immune system response that normally results in the transient production of antibodies. The induction of an

Burn Wound Healing: Clinical Complications, Medical Care, Treatment, and Dressing Types: The Current State of Knowledge for Clinical Practice

“…Acellular fish skin grafts (FSG) are created by minimally processing fish skin from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) [116]. Interestingly, there are no known prion, bacterial, or viral diseases that can be transmitted from North-Atlantic cod to humans; hence, the minimal processing requirements [117]. Acellular fish skin is remarkably like human skin, yet fundamentally different from mammalian-derived matrices, because of the preservation of the structure, lipids, and other soluble components.…”

Accelerated Wound Closure of Deep Partial Thickness Burns with Acellular Fish Skin Graft

“…Minimal processing may have contributed to the accelerated wound closure by FSG due to the preservation of bioactive compounds that support cell in-growth, particularly omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Previous studies have shown that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are characteristic of FSGs and possess anti-inflammatory effects that have proven beneficial for faster wound healing, though further studies are required to fully understand the mechanism through which this is accomplished [13,14,17,23]. In a non-inferiority study, 81 people volunteered to undergo 2 full thickness 4-mm biopsy punches on their arm approximately 2 cm apart and the wounds were treated with FSG or porcine small-intestine submucosa (a CTP).…”

“…Acellular fish skin grafts (FSG) are a CTP that are created by minimally processing fish skin from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Interestingly, there are no known prion, bacterial, or viral diseases that can be transmitted from North-Atlantic cod to humans; hence, the minimal processing requirements [13]. FSG is more similar in structure to human skin than anti-viral-processed skin substitutes such as amniotic membrane [14] and other CTPs [15].…”

The Utility of Novel Fish-Skin Derived Acellular Dermal Matrix (Kerecis) as a Wound Dressing Material

“…However, the cost of Kerecis is relatively low compared to other ADMs. Kerecis, a newly-approved ADM, is a piscine acellular dermal xenograft, which is derived from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) [10,11]. Fish skin shows architectural similarities to mammalian skin, owing to its molecular structure [9,10,12].…”

“…Baldursson et al [13] found that treatment with the omega-3 matrix compared to that with porcine matrix (Oasis) caused no seroconversions in autoantibodies and healed much faster. Magnusson et al [11] concluded that application of the omega-3 matrix in acute complicated wounds shows a 50% mean reduction in wound area in the early stage of healing. Furthermore, studies by Yang et al [12] proved that the omega-3 matrix was a promising material in managing chronic wounds including diabetic foot ulcers, and a 48% decrease in wound depth was observed after 5 weeks of application of the fish-derived ADM.…”