Reconstruction of a tissue‐engineered skin containing melanocytes

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish a new method for reconstruction of a tissue-engineered skin containing melanocytes by employing tissue engineering. The keratinocytes, melanocytes and dermal fibroblasts were isolated and purified from human foreskin biopsies. Then the cells were used to construct a tissue-engineered skin containing melanocytes. The localization of melanocytes in the tissue-engineered skin was detected by DOPA staining, S-100 immunohistochemical staining and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the melanocytes could be detected in the basal layer of the constructed skin and the melanocytes showed dendritic morphology. Moreover the constructed skins were used to repair the athymic mice skin defects. Animal experiment results indicated that the skin equivalents could successfully repair full thickness skin defects in athymic mice and generated black skins by 6weeks after grafting. Melanocytes located in the basal layer of the athymic mice skin could also be detected by using the S-100 immunohistochemical staining. Our established method is useful to repair the full-thickness skin defects.

Improvement of Vascularization of PLGA Scaffolds by Inosculation of In Situ-Preformed Functional Blood Vessels With the Host Microvasculature

“…1,2 Subsequently, these constructs may be implanted into the patient to restore or improve tissue function. However, up to now, tissue engineering techniques are mainly successful in case of avascular tissues such as cartilage [3][4][5] or very thin tissues that can survive by diffusion alone without an additional vascular supply, including skin 6,7 or blood vessel substitutes. 8 -10 In contrast, implantation of larger 3-dimensionally constructed tissues is associated with major tissue loss during the first days.…”

Mixture of Fibroblasts and Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Can Improve Epidermal Morphogenesis of Tissue-Engineered Skin

“…Bilayered skin substitutes were produced according to Liu et al [2007]. The collagen gel matrix was prepared as follows: 8 volumes of acid-soluble type I collagen (8 mg/ml; Sigma) solution (pH = 3) was mixed with 1 volume of Ham's F-12 medium concentrated 10 !…”

The clinical application of autologous bioengineered skin based on a hyaluronic acid scaffold

“…For this reason, in recent years some protocols have been established for manufacturing skin equivalents using fibroblasts, keratinocytes and melanocytes, in order to ameliorate skin substitutes pigmentation. A recent work by Liu et al [35] showed successful grafting of pigmented skin equivalents in animal models, offering the basis for application in humans. Therefore, in this study we seeded a mixed suspension composed of keratinocytes and melanocytes, with a ratio of 1:20, on a scaffold of esterified hyaluronic acid containing autologous fibroblasts to create a skin substitute harbouring melanocytes.…”