title: Study of the tensile properties of living skin equivalents.
abstract: The living skin equivalent is one of the more advanced clinical applications in the field of tissue engineering. It is a promising therapeutic option for burn victims and a strong potential for manifold in vitro experiments. However, researchers have encountered major drawbacks in the reconstruction of the dermal layer. Peripheral anchorage of the dermal equivalent component has been a valuable solution to many of these problems. In this work, we have carried out the mechanical analysis of skin equivalent models, based on this dermal anchoring technique, with a study of their biaxial tensile properties. Differences between models were related to the origin of collagen, either bovine or human, and on the culture techniques: immersion or at the air-liquid interface. The study was accomplished in vitro using 25.4-mm-diameter disk-shaped specimens with an indentation test. In appropriate wet condition, the specimens were punctured with a spherical tip at a quasi-static rate. We measured the load applied against the tip vs deflection up to the breaking point. Our results show that skin equivalents presented a typical exponential load-deflection relationship. All skin equivalents presented large extensibility up to 1.41 expressed in a ratio of deflection vs specimen's radius. The maximum tensile strength (0.871-1.169 Newton) and energy calculations (3.75-6.432 N.mm) was offered by living skin equivalent, made with human types I and III collagens, cultured at the air-liquid interface. In these conditions, our results suggest the tensile properties of living skin equivalents were enhanced due to the development of well stratified stratum corneum.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Génie Biomédical, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lafrance
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yahia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guillot
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Auger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004735:Energy Transfer; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007101:Immersion; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008422:Materials Testing; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D003094:Collagen