Gewebeersatz (tissue engineering) von Dermis und Epidermis

• DOI: 10.1007/s00104-003-0725-4
• Publication Date: 2003-11-21T16:04:11Z
• Authors: H. Bannasch; M. F�hn; T. Unterberg; F. Knam; B. Weyand; G. B. Stark
• Keywords: Keratinocytes; Skin, Artificial; 0303 health sciences; Time Factors; Tissue Engineering; Swine; Mice, Nude; Dermis; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; Genetic Therapy; Skin Transplantation; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Animals; Humans; Epidermis; Growth Substances; Cells, Cultured

Cultivated epithelial autografts as multilayered, thin sheets represent a common standard in clinically applied tissue engineering substitutes, outnumbering all experimental alternatives. However, the unsatisfying short- and long-term results concerning mechanical stability and scarring require alternatives. The cultivation and transplantation of cultured autologous keratinocytes as a single cell suspension in a fibrin matrix, combined with allogenic skin grafting, has been investigated extensively in athymic nude mice. Wounds can be reliably reepithelialized after a cultivation period of only 14 days. Moreover, the successful combination of keratinocyte fibrin suspension and acellular dermis in an attempt to regenerate full thickness skin defects in a pig model has been demonstrated. The usefulness of subconfluently cultured keratinocytes-which can be harvested very early and are easy to handle-is enhanced by cotransplantation with decellularized dermis.